One Step Closer
by Animallover1313
Summary: Caroline meets Nightwing; a part of Young Justice. She has an affair, and finds out that she has secret powers that were from her family, who all died because of a war. Will her relationship with Nightwing grow stronger, or fall apart completely? T for language and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

Nightwing and his friends come in, and I try not to burst with embarrassment at our party that my friend Autumn and I are hosting at our house. He and Autumn chatted, and I could tell he's into her. I felt weird, like when I usually did when I wanted to... cut myself. I felt neglected at that time, and I really felt like doing something. All of a sudden, my brother Brandon and his friends all came in, and they noticed that Autumn was there. You see, Autumn was one of the most pretty girls in the town, so of course there's gonna be guys lining up to her. She gave me an apologetic smile, and I just shrugged. Then, as more guys came in, they started chatting with me, too. Now I had guys lining up for me too. I was now officially claimed big slut. I didn't like this, so I just sat down with Autumn, and she seemed worried.

"What's up, buddy?" I asked as I sipped the soda. She looked over at Nightwing, who did not seem to be having the best time. He was sitting in a chair, drinking punch. I shrugged, and turned towards her. "Maybe he's jealous. I'll try to talk to him," I stated, and walked over to him. Of course, all of the boys stayed with Autumn, and I sighed in relief and guilt. "What's going on?" I asked him, and he looked at me with surprise.

I only shrugged, and he just started to confess. "I don't know, really. Every time Autumn's with a guy, I have a weird knot in my stomach, and it tightens every time I see her with a guy." I only laughed, and he gave me a troubled expression.

"Dude, that's just jealousy. I think you just realized that, haven't you?" I mused, and he only nodded. A few guys checked me out, so I screamed out to them.

"You know, my eyes are up here, so why don't you look at them!" They immediately looked away, embarrassed, and I smirked. Nightwing laughed, and I looked around. Most of the guys were straying away from Autumn towards me, and I stood up abruptly. "I...er... have to go to the bathroom," I muttered, and sped towards the cold clean room of my safety: the bathroom. This contained a razor, make up, tooth-brushes, and other first aid supplies. I grabbed my razor, and I heard some others coming through the door. I could hear their huge drunk rants, and I immediately panicked. I tucked my razor in my pocket, and it stung me. "FUCKING A!" I cried out, and apparently Nightwing had heard. I could see the doorknob rattling, and he was trying to enter the room.

Opening the window and jumping out, I could hear him ask if I was okay. "Nothin' just chillin'" I replied, and started to walk towards the mountain that I always went to when I was stressed. I could hear someone drop to the cement, and I turned around to see him following me.

"Whatcha wanna do?" He asked, and we had reached the small mountain. I jumped up and down and squealed like a little girl with ice cream.

"I want to... climb!" I shrieked, and we started to jump from tree to tree. Finally, Nightwing had reached the clearing first, and started to brag.

"I win you lose na nana na na na!" He shouted as he stuck out his tongue, and I laughed at his childish antics. I realized that part of my sleeve revealed my scars, and he noticed them this time. He grabbed my arm, and studied my scars. "Why do you do this, Caroline?" he asked softly, and I drew my arm back.

"Why would any of you care? I'm nothing to anyone! Ethan just probably pities me, and just look at me! I look horrible! They wouldn't lose a blink of sleep if i just... if i just died!" I retaliated, and he did something that surprised me. He stepped forward and encased me in a hug. I start to squirm, and he squeezes me tighter. I sat down, and placed my elbows on my knees. "I can't trust anyone; not after what happened. Not anymore." I murmured to myself, and he hugged me tighter.

"It's gonna be alright, Caroline. Stay strong. You are beautiful, and I can say that from just myself." I unexpectedly turned a bright red, and he only smiled lightly.

"No it's not, Robin. I can't trust anymore. Not since that day." I replied, and looked up at the luminous moon. Nightwing sat beside me, and lifted up my chin to look into his eyes.

"What will it take for you to trust me?" He asked, looking at me in the eyes. I felt tears threatening to spill, and I turned back to the view from the cliff.

"I can't trust anyone. It's not possible for me." I muttered in reply. He puts both of his hands on my face , and looks into my eyes make me look at him. "Caroline, please you trust Autumn, but please can you trust me? I promise I wont let anyone hurt you." He rubs my cheek with his thumb, and it felt like it was... lovingly. I abruptly stood up, and sat on a branch on the tree, and I knew it was light and could threaten spilling me to the ground. Either way, he couldn't sit next to me without hurting the both of us. "I don't know, Nightwing. I... it almost took a lifetime for me to trust Autumn." I murmured, and hugged my knees.

He sat next to me, and the branch started getting weaker. "Please Caroline I'll do anything for you to trust me please Caroline." He grasps my hands and looks into my eyes. The branch is getting weaker, and it'll snap soon. I grasp onto my moon pendant.

"Can we please change the subject, Nightwing?" I plead to him, and he sighs.

"Ok, Caroline. Who do you like?" He's still holding my hands, and 'm surprisingly still looking into his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, and he smirked at me. I rolled my eyes almost fondly at him, and his smirk widened.

"I mean who do you like?" He holds my hands slightly tighter, but I didn't feel it. I cock my head to the side with question.

"Why do you ask?" I asked curiously, and he turned his head away from me.

"I...I just wanted to know." He simply states, and I can't help but feel sad. I mean, if I liked someone, wouldn't you want them to like you back? I felt kind of... disappointed. I study him, and then answer quietly.

"I like... I don't know anymore, really. I mean, Ethan said he did, but seeing him flirt with every girl seems like he doesn't. I told him something so important to me, and I'm so afraid that he's going to tell someone." I sighed, and I could feel tears prick the edges of my eyes.

"I think he'll keep your secret, I promise." He puts an arm around me and whispers the last part to me. I shiver with the warmth of his voice, and he chuckles at my actions. "Hmm, well who was it that you liked?" I give him a sad and pained look, and try to plead to him.

"Nightwing... please just change the subject. I can't tell you," I feel a tear trailing down my cheek, and he wipes it off with his thumb. The branch creaks, but apparently Robin doesn't notice. He pulls me closer to him, and our noses are touching.

"Please, Caroline tell me." He pleads back, and I sigh.

"Fine, robin. I like..." I start to grin evilly. "No one." I laughed at his pout, and I looked up at him.

"Caroline please tell me. I promise I won't judge you and I'll promise to keep it a secret." He squeezes my hand tighter but gently. I look up at him with a worried expression, and he just waits patiently. I roll my eyes, and finally give in.

"Fine. I used to like Ethan..."

He fist pumps in the air, and he almost falls out of the tree, but I caught his hand, and he climbed back onto the branch. It groaned, and I could see splinters behind where Robin was. I try to stop him with a tiny bit of warning in my voice. "Nightwing..." He doesn't notice, and he leans closer to me, and leans down. He whispers to me in a hushed voice, and I shiver at his breath tickling my nose.

"So who do you like now, Caroline?" I pause, then look at him with a slightly hopeful expression.

"I... You said you won't judge, right?" I sigh, and he smiles a cocky yet gentle smile.

"Yeah of course I wouldn't judge," He smiles again, and I give a small smile and start. But, just as I was about to tell him, the branch snapped, and we both fell to the ground; him on top of me. I blush a cherry red, and start to wriggle out of his grasp, but he pins me down. "So, who do you like now?" He smirked at me, and I looked at his eyes, that were grey, almost a blank white. I sighed, and I noticed that our noses were touching and our foreheads were pressed against each other... and so were we in period.

I trace my finger on my scars, it's something I do when I get nervous. "I kinda like...you. But if you don't feel the same way it's fine I just thought-" He smashed his lips against mine, and I blushed, and my eyes widened in shock. He pulled away, and stood up. He pulled me up, and I guess was pulled too hard, because my head softly landed on his chest, and I immediately backed up. He looked down at me and smirked at my now red face, and I glared at him. He smiled, and kissed my cheek, and I blushed a slight pink. He laughed at me, and I stuck out my tongue at him.

I hid my razor in my pocket, but since the moon could reflect on shiny objects, so it reflected in my pocket. Robin noticed this, and took out the razor. His eyes widened, and he looked at me in worry. "Was this what you came out here to do?" He asked quietly, and I just nodded. He encased me in a hug, and my tears started to soak in his shirt. He stroked my hair, and kissed my forehead.

I looked up at him, and whispered to him, "So you like me back?" I asked, and he kissed me passionately. I pulled away and he laughed.

"Nah, I think I like Autumn!" He responded sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes and glared at him. He hugged me again, and I laid down. Laying down next to me, he checked the watch. "Shit, it's almost midnight. We need to get going." He started, and I just nodded. He helped me up, and with hand in hand, we walked back to Autumn's house.

Nightwing's POV:  
My god, she actually likes me back! I never knew she actually did. We first met when I was in the gym at the high school...

A few years back... Nightwing's POV:  
I was on the rings, and was pulling myself up and down and doing backflips. Then, I heard a sound outside, and a girl walked in(or more like shoved) in. She had waist-length black hair with tinges of chocolate brown, natural tan skin and long legs, and piercing golden-green eyes. She had on shorts, and a sweat shirt with a shirt under it. She had an unusual moon pendant that was small and tiny, and it was wrapped around her neck like a necklace. I didn't know that I was staring at her, because she was staring back at me, with her head cocked to the side. She lifted up an eyebrow, and tied her hair into a bun, and started to work out. First, she did pull-ups, (which is real surprising, since most girls at this school don't dare to touch that bar, because they didn't want to ruin their nails. I had an awe-stricken face, and then started again on my back flips and pull ups. The next time I saw the girl, she was about to use the weight-lifting machines that needed a seer. "You need someone for that?"

She just smiled and nodded, and it sent my heartbeat like I did a day's worth of running and swimming combined. I stood behind her, and she took out the bar, and to push it up and down. On one of the last ones, she slipped, and I caught it before it could fracture of shatter her bones of her chest. We were really close together, our heads almost touching. I was about to lean forward, but she abruptly slid under the bar, and helped me place the bar back onto the rack. We were close again, and I saw her green-gold eyes dart around the room nervously, and I noticed something under her sleeve. I was about to ask about it, but she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and she looked at me apologetically.

"Erm, thanks for spotting for me. I appreciate it. I'm kinda new here, so I don't really know which class I'm in." Her voice was as soft and smooth as silk, and it was gentle like a mother cat tending to her kittens.

"Here, you can see my schedule." I shrugged, and she smiled softly. We looked at each other's papers, and they were listed as...

**Schedule for Richard G:**

**Period 1**- Gym

**Period 2- **Sparring

**Period 3-** Gymnastics

**Period 4-** Language Arts/Drama

**Lunch**

**Period 5-** Science

**Period 6-** Math

**Period 7-** Study Hall with Ms. Wilson

**Period 8-** History

**Schedule for Caroline S:**

**Period 1-** Gym

**Period 2-** Sparring

**Period 3-** Spanish

**Period 4-** Language Arts/Drama

**Lunch**

**Period 5-** Science

**Period 6-** Math

**Period 7-** Study Hall with Ms. Wilson

**Period 8-** History

Our eyes widened, and we exchanged glances. "Well," she sighed. I almost smiled like an idiot, but kept a straight face. She smiled, and murmured something. "Can you help me by showing me where the classes are?" She asked quietly, and I only nodded. She turned a light pink, and I laughed at her. She stuck out her tongue, and I snickered at her antics. When 1st period was over, we walked together towards Sparring.

Present... Nightwing's POV:  
We were walking together to gym, and when we walked into the gymnasium, we immediately were greeted by Connor, Meghan, Aqualad, Artemis, Wally, and Teresa. Teresa was my ex-girlfriend, so things were really awkward between us. I could feel Caroline tense up, and I looked down at her. She looked back up at me, worried, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, and she only leaned on my shoulder. She was wearing a blue over the shoulder shirt with sleeves to the elbows, and arm-warmers to cover her scars. Also, she had a pair of black jeans with a silver necklace that went down to her abdomen, and had her favorite moon pendant dangling from the chain.

All of them tensed when they saw the pendant, and Meghan whispered to Connor, "That's the mark of an ancient hero who died long ago... some have been thought of descendants; but none could prove it. Could she be... " I silenced them with a stare. Excluding the ex-girlfriend, of course. She walked towards the pendant with curiosity and cautiousness, then ripped it from her neck. We all had our eyes popping out of or sockets, but what happened next was the most surprising. She smashed it. She smashed that pendant, and everyone was too in shock to process anything. The first to break free of the shock was Caroline. Her eyes widened and her lip started trembling as she took the pieces of the pendant. Tears streamed down her face, and she ran into the girls' locker room. Meghan and Artemis followed her, and Teresa was in some deep shit now.

"What the hell?!" We all yelled at her, and she didn't even flinch. I was held back by Connor and Aqualad, and Wally was still processing what just happened. "What the hell is wrong with you? Just because you're not my girlfriend doesn't mean that you can hurt someone who gives me happiness!" She did flinch then, and stomped away.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline's POV:  
She just smashed my most valued possession. She smashed my necklace. Teresa; ex-girlfriend of Nightwing; smashed the one thing that my mother gave me before she died. I uncovered my arm warmers, and brought out my razor. I slashed my arm saying, "I ruin everything." Just when I did that, Meghan and Artemis burst through the door. Their eyes widened when they saw my bloody arm, and the razor in my hand. They rushed towards me, and my gaze kept straying to my necklace. I felt a power inside of me, and I rushed to the bathroom, and brought my necklace with me.

A tingling in my hands came, and a green orb of power was in the space between my two hands. I placed it above my necklace, and muttered 'together'. The pieces found themselves like it was a jigsaw puzzle, and Meghan and Artemis' eyes were bulging out of their sockets. "We need to get you to Nightwing now." Meghan said as she and Artemis dragged me out of the locker room with my necklace in my hand.

"Nightwing, we need to show you something important," Artemis started, and I immediately covered my arms. Nightwing's eyes softened, and he hugged me from behind me, while Meghan gave me my arm-warmers. I slipped them on, ignoring everyone's sympathetic glances, and strapped back on my repaired necklace; which everyone's eyes widened. My tingling in my hands reappeared, and I exchanged glances with Meghan. She nodded, and brought a smashed brick, and my powers surged through me.

The green haze appeared, and I muttered together. The crumbled pieces were smashed together, and there was a repaired cement brick in front of me. The boys' eyes were popping out of their sockets, and I only shrank back in rejection. I knew this was their reaction. I stood up, and started to walk away quickly, no one following me.

Before I knew it, I realized that I was at the archery field. My necklace glowed, so I threw it in the air, like I always did. It transformed into a bow and arrows, and I notched one in before shooting. It hit the bulls eye, and I went on to the next target. I had run out of targets, and I heard something move behind me. I turned to see Nightwing, who was smiling at me.

I threw my bow in the air, and all of the arrows and bow turned into the pendant. I connected the two chains together, and shifted on my feet uncomfortably. He seemed happy, and he started to walk towards me. He hugged me around my waist, and I lifted my arms around his neck. He whispered in my ear, "That was incredible. You're truly incredible." I smiled, and he kissed my forehead before wrapping his arm around my waist, and pulling me closer to him.

"Are... do they not like me now?" I asked him, and he started to laugh. I loved how his shaggy black hair always fell in his face, leading to me taking it out of his face over and over again. As I thought about it, a patch of shaggy hair fell to his face, and I just sighed and laughed. Sweeping it out of his face, he answered me.

"They love you, Caroline. They think of you as their brothers and sisters if you ask me. They think you are a lot better than Teresa." I smiled at the thought of having close friends, and he laughed at me so hard, he could've been rolling on the floor laughing. Why? I was apparently in such deep thought, that I had run my face into a pole. He laughed so hard that he himself had run into a pole. It was now my turn to laugh. We arrived back with the others when the bell rang, signaling five more minutes until period two. I had sparring with Artemis, Aqualad, Nightwing, and Connor. Meghan had psychology, while Wally had track. Ironic, why track wouldn't be in gym. They both walked different ways, and we all entered the classroom.

Nightwing's POV:  
Now, Caroline was head of the archers and knives in Sparring, while I was head of the sword section. I was really proud of my girlfriend. Caroline was sparring with Aqualad, and she knocked his sword out of his hand, and it scattered out of his grasp. He flipped over her, but she crouched, and when he grabbed for his sword, she pushed him the other way when he was hovering above him. She pinned him down, and lightly held her knife in his throat. Coach Red applauded Caroline, and she turned a red for the attention everyone was giving her. She then held out a hand for Aqualad to take, and congratulated him for the great strategy. Caroline was pure natured for sportsmanship.

I crept up behind her, and wrapped my arms around her waist, and she looked up at me. Leaning into my chest, I heard my name being called up to have my match. I kissed her lips, and she whispered to me, "Good luck out there, Nightwing." I smiled, and pecked her cheek. She still blushed, and I laughed at her while she stuck her tongue out at me. I walked to the ring, and we started the match.

Caroline's POV:  
When Nightwing won, I hugged him, and the bell rang. We now had to separate ways, with me going to Spanish, and him going to Gymnastics. I kissed him on the cheek, and started to walk to Spanish with... well... on my own.

I walked in, and it was a massacre. Everyone was throwing spit balls, and others were vandalizing on the smart board. Mrs. Flynn only looked up once from her computer, and shrugged. I saw Teresa in the corner with her posies, and she started to walk towards me. I hid my necklace in my bag, and kept my bag on my shoulders. She tugged at my hair, and burst out laughing. She showed a patch of gray streaks, and the whole class was crying in laughter. I yanked my hair back, and my bag fell to the floor. I crouched to get it, but they started to punch and kick my back.

I fell to the floor, and I could see my blood splattered in a small puddle next to me. I stood up, and wiped it from my mouth, smearing it on my palm. When she tried to punch me in the face, I blocked it, and punched her in the gut. She tackled me to the ground, and my head hit the sharp corner of a desk. My vision started to dance in black, and my breathing started to slow down. I tried to sit back up, but she kicked my face and gut, and I fell into a deep sleep of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Meghan's POV:  
I didn't seem to see Caroline at Drama, and now all of us were getting worried when she wasn't at lunch either. Nightwing was the one most distraught. We then had been called to the office, and were terrified at the news the office attendant gave us.

"Your friend; Caroline; has been involved with a fight with an unknown. She's unconscious, and is being pulled to the local hospital. If you'd like, you'll be able to ride with her to the hospital."

"Thank you ma'am. Where's she?" The lady pointed towards the front door, and he rushed out to the wailing of sirens. We saw her being pulled out of the door and we all gasped. She looked... horrible. Her normal tan skin was now a pale peach, and we didn't even see her breathing. On her pillow, there was blood all over one corner of it, and her mouth dripped blood. Her extraordinary green-gold eyes were looking into space, and I tried to stifle sobs. Connor and Wally were trying to actually process this, while Aqualad, Artemis, and I tried to stay calm. Nightwing broke down, climbing into the ambulance, and holding her head in his lap. After a little, he lifted her head, and his lap was soaked in blood.

"Oh god..." Nightwing murmured, and kissed her forehead. I looked at Connor, and he scooted closer to me, and grasped my hand, and squeezed it. He gave me a glance, as if to ask, _'You need someone?'_ I nodded, and he moved closer to me, and I leaned on his shoulder. We got out of the ambulance as soon as it stopped, but they wouldn't let anyone in her room so far. Nightwing was always pacing the room, and we all waited there until around midnight. I think Artemis fell asleep, along with Aqualad, Wally, and Connor. The only ones who were in the waiting room were me and Nightwing.

"When are you going to ask her to join the team?" I asked quietly, afraid to wake up the four sleeping next and across from us. He stopped pacing, and looked at me.

"I don't know. She needs to be on the team, though. Who will be her mentor? There's no one there to mentor her." I shrugged, then thought of the legend.

"Remember that hero that died years back, and had descendants? What if... what if she's a descendant? She could be one of the most powerful heroes that ever reigned here on Earth, or for any galaxy for that matter." I responded, and the nurse came in. She looked at us with a sympathetic smile, and led us to her room.

Nightwing's POV:  
"You two do know about her... habit, right?" She started, and we both nodded. "Well, there's one scar I don't think the either of you know about." We entered Caroline's room, and I sighed in relief when I saw her peacefully sleeping face. The nurse came to the left side of her, and tucked a bundle of hair back, and both of our stomachs did a back-flip. There was a cut mark that was concealed, and it went down from her neck to her collarbone. It was white, and was almost gone. "It says her mother died a few years after she was born, and after that, her father abused her. She ran away from home, then was caught by her father, and... almost raped. She was taken away from her father, then ran away again, then meeting her roommate Autumn. She's been with her ever since."

Both of our eyes widened, and we looked at Caroline. Her long locks of a variety of black, brown, and silver hair was carelessly all on her pillows and hospital bed. She started to stir, then relaxed again. I sat next to her, and grasped her hand. It was warm; like always; and I fingered her marks on her palm. I could see her shiver, and I smiled lightly. I could imagine her sticking her tongue at me, then when I looked at her face, it reminded me where we were right now. The tears stung my eyes, and the nurse told us more things.

"She won't be conscious until tomorrow. But, you can still stay here with her; just tell us immediately when she wakes up." Meghan nodded to her, and started to walk out with her.

"I think you need to be alone with her for a while," she smiled, and closed the door behind her. The tears streamed down my face, and I grasped her hand tighter. It felt awkward, having cried over a girl. I mean, men are supposed to be strong; not vulnerable. I held her hand to my face, and I heard her murmur something. I ignored it, and she said it a little louder.

"Nightwing, stop... I'm fine." I heard her say, and I looked up to see her sitting up slowly, and I hugged her hard. I cried into her hair, and she kissed my forehead. "I'll be fine, Nightwing." I cried more, and kissed her passionately. I immediately dialed the nurse's phone number, and she rushed into the door, with Meghan and the waking up gang behind her.

"Caroline!" Meghan squealed, and tackled her in a hug. "Thank god you're fine! I thought something serious happened to you! We were waiting out there for hours, Caroline, but they wouldn't let us in... 'till about midnight."

"CAROLINE!" I heard Wally and Artemis shout, and they flew at her like a dog with a treat. Next was Connor, who hugged her tight, but only gave her a curt nod afterwards. He's a boy of few words.

She sighed, and looked frantically for her moon pendant. I had it in my pocket, and gave it to her with a kiss to the forehead. She smiled up to me, and I smiled widely back. Caroline was able to leave by tomorrow afternoon, so we had to leave her in her room to go to sleep. Everyone left besides Meghan and I, who were her closest out of all of us.

"Caroline?" I started, and she looked at me with tiredness, but also love and happiness. I never really saw her eyes filled with happiness besides now. "Me and Meghan would like to ask you something."

She nodded, then sat up more. We scooted closer to her bed, and asked her the question. "Will you be willing to join our team?" Caroline cocked her head to the side, and Meghan explained for me.

"Our team is... well, do you know about the Justice League?" She nodded, and motioned for us to go on. "Well, we're their apprentices, and we want you to join us. We suspect that you're a descendant of a great hero that lived in ancient times, and so you can also learn more about your past." Caroline visibly grimaced, and we thought back to when the nurse told us about her past.

She thought about it, then decided. "I'll join." I hugged her, and kissed her, pulling away to see her face was red with embarrassment. I laughed at her, and she stuck out her tongue at me.

"Very mature, Caroline." I laughed, then pouted when she smacked me on the shoulder. She yawned, then kissed my cheek. "Night, Caroline." I whispered to her, and she smiled.

"Goodnight Meghan. Good night Nightwing. Have fun tomorrow." She responded with another yawn, and by the time I closed the door behind me, she was fast asleep.

Caroline's POV:  
I was able to go back to school by this morning, so I was going to surprise Nightwing by showing up there. I shouldered my backpack to my side, and Meghan and Connor pull up to the parking lot. None other than Teresa and her group comes up in front of them. They walked out of the car, and pushed me to the floor, but I blocked her. Then, she punched me in the gut, and I cried out. Connor immediately came out of the car, and pulled Teresa away from me, and let go of her when she muttered words under her breath. My eyes widened, and he was incased in a force field.

He was thrown to the wall, and I shouted, "PROTECT!" and the green orb of power sailed toward him, encasing him in a leafy green force-field. I set him back to the ground, and his eyes widened. The girls with her started to grow until their skin was only rubber. They were actually robots; like Red Tornado. He muttered Kryptonian curses, and I could only hear one sentence.

"Not again." By the time he said that, Meghan jumped out of the car, and leapt into the air. She stayed there, and spread her arms wide, and her skin color changed to a mossy green; her eyes the color a shade lighter. She smashed her arms together, and two cars slammed into the two girls by her side. I heard more screeches, and the rest of the gang ran out, with weapons ready. My eyes widened, and realization dawned on me.

"My god, I'm stupid," I muttered, and Connor looked at me weirdly. I just shrugged, and threw my necklace in the air. It transformed into a bow and arrows, and Artemis whispered, "Sweet," under her breath. I shot an arrow towards Teresa, and I motioned for all of them to take cover. I shouted, "STRIKE!" and a tree near me started to move towards me. All of their eyes were wide, and I motioned towards Teresa and her minions. (hehe... minions.) It swung its whip, and it lassoed around the two robots' legs, and it threw them over into a fountain.

It followed it, and I was lifted into the air. I felt something glowing inside of me, and I was glowing. Teresa lashed out at me, and I tried to concentrate on both the warrior and Teresa. It reflected on her, and she screeched as it made her fly backwards hundreds of yards. She attacked again, and I was caught off guard this time. I plummeted out of the sky, and skidded across the tile floor, and I groaned, cradling my broken ribs. I staggered back up, and saw Meghan start to battle Teresa. Teresa whispered a single word that only a person right next to her could hear.

"Kill."

"NO!" I screamed, and leapt in front of her, managing to block the blow. It parried on, and I fought my own forces and magic with it. Meghan looked at me with wide eyes, and I only nodded. She added her powers with it, and the green almost defeated Teresa. Almost. Key word right there. It reflected on it, and hit the tree straight in the head when it turned around. My vision sprayed in red, and I fell to the ground, being caught by no other than Nightwing himself.

I groaned, and he helped me back up. "You can't defeat her on your own, Caroline. You need our help." I started to shake my head, and tears stung my eyes.

"Nightwing, she has powers like I do. I can feel the power radiating off of her, and it's too dangerous. She was about to kill Meghan. I can keep her occupied... until other matters. I will be fine though, don't worry." I started, and he kissed me before setting me back down. I notched another arrow in my bow, and whispered into it. It whizzed near her, then exploded. Everyone looked at me like I drank a gallon of pee, and I lifted a finger. Then, vines exploded out of the ground, and started to strangle her.

She started to struggle and scream, but it only tightened. Purple light streamed from the gaps, but it tightened even more. I concentrated, and the vines loosened and Teresa tumbled out, unconscious. At least, I thought she was. Throwing a knife next to her, on instinct she threw it back my way, but I caught it midway. Pinning my two fingers against her pressure point, I whispered to her, "Grow unconscious." She was about to say something, but her eyes rolled back, and she slumped back. I caught her, and lifted her up in the air, then she was incased in a cage almost; a cell-like room, and Meghan told me where to send it. It fell through the earth, and disappeared.

"We need to go to Mt. Justice right now." Artemis starts, and they all agree with her. Nightwing gently holds my hand, but when I take a step, I cough out blood, but smear it away. No one seems to notice, but Meghan seems to look at me with a worried expression. We ride in silence except for the radio, and I fall asleep with my head on Nightwing's shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

Nightwing's POV:  
I heard soft breaths, and I turned to see that Caroline was fast asleep. I pulled her head in my lap, and I watched her peaceful face until we reached the ship. I picked her up, and she was limp in my arms. I carried her swiftly from the car to the ship, and Meghan lifted the ship into the sky, giving a worried look over to Caroline.

We arrived at Mt. Justice, and Caroline still wasn't awake. All of us started getting worried, and Meghan knelt next to her. She turned her over, and her expression turned into a frown. She lifted up her side of her shirt, and I turned a bright red. Artemis slapped me in the face before continuing. "Perv," she muttered, and turned back to Caroline. Meghan pressed her ribs, and Caroline started to tremble softly. I went on her other side, and grasped her hand. Caroline didn't budge, but started to tremble when Meghan pressed her fingers against her ribs.

"Broken ribs... but something is happening telepathically..." Her eyes glowed green, and Caroline's eyes turned into a mossy green, and she started to tremble more. I kept my hold onto her, and she stopped moving.

Meghan's POV:  
As I entered Caroline's mind, I heard Caroline's voice, and another woman's voice. It sounded like hers, but it was more powerful. I looked out to see a woman that had glowing black and brown hair, with green gold eyes like Caroline, with freckles, and a helmet under her arm, with a silver circlet on her head. The woman's chain around her neck had a pendant like Caroine's; a moon pendant. I gasped, and hid back behind the statue. It was true. That was the symbol of a hero long ago... I just can't remember the name. Caroline was a descendant of one of the greatest heroes ever lived. I eavesdropped on their conversation, and I heard rumbling in the distance.

"Daughter, it will be alright. When I left, I had to go back to the Justice League. They needed me there as much as your friends do right now." I could hear Caroline cry out, and her mother touched her ribs. "Hmm..." She muttered some words, and I had to strain to hear what she was trying to say. It was about healing the heals of others from her powers, and she kissed her forehead before turning toward the exact statue I was behind. "Daughter, we have an intruder." They seemed to have their own conversation on something I couldn't hear of, and Caroline appeared behind me, with her bow and arrow notched at my throat. I squeaked, and Caroline sighed in relief.

"Please don't tell anyone about this! I'm... I'm going to try to tell Nightwing first... but my mom... she's immortal. She was the reincarnation of Mother Earth herself, and her father was the Moon. That's where she gets the moon from. If they know that I'm daughter of Earth and granddaughter of Moon himself, anything could happen then." Her mother came beside her, and kissed her forehead softly before enveloping her in a hug. Her mother then gave her something, and Caroline then started to glow. Her hair was braided with silver, and her eyes had a tinge of silver in them. I started to disappear, and Caroline called out to me. "I'll meet you there!" She shouted to me, before starting to disappear too.

I was shaken back into focus by Connor, and I scrambled over to Caroline, who was slowly waking up. She stood up, but grimaced, but disguised it with a fake as fuck smile that said 'oh I think i'm gonna die soon but oh well let's have some ice cream' smile. She scrambled out of the ship, and grabbed a handful of dirt from the base of the trees. She motioned for me to come with her, and poured the dirt to her wound, and chanted a few words. The dirt substituted for skin, and it sunk in, completely healed. She sighed in relief, and pulled back down the side of her shirt. I turned around to see Nightwing blushing like hell, and Artemis whacked him across the head. Caroline stopped them both before a fight could start, and Artemis muttered, "Pervert," and walked back between Aqualad and Wally just as a flash appeared, and the whole Justice League appeared in front of us.

Caroline's POV:  
They came to their apprentices, and I just sat down on a stone. I felt jealous. I don't have a mentor here. I guess Meghan noticed this, because she and her mentor started to walk towards me. I lifted my head, and saw Martian Manhunter in front of me. He stuck out his hand, and I reluctantly shook it. He paused, and I could feel him in my mind. I immediately forced him out, and he staggered back. Manhunter had gotten the information he wanted already, though. He looked at me with a surprised expression, then cheered.

"The lost one has returned!" This got the Justice League's attention, and they started to walk towards me. I gripped my moon pendant nervously, and Superman looked closer at it. His eyes widened, and he whispered something to Wonderwoman. Her eyes widened too, and they both stepped closer to me. I panicked, and a tree next to me rose from its roots, and stepped in front of me. Everyone's eyes widened, and the warrior bowed before me. I cocked my head to the side in confusion. This didn't have that effect when I defended myself against Teresa and the robots. I touched my circlet with my hand, and my eyes widened.

"I... erm... I need to do something really quick," I stammered, and I could feel the tears coming. I sped into the forest, and my tears raced down my cheeks. I didn't belong here. I climbed the highest tree in the forest, and sat on the tallest branch up in the sky, and looked down.

I saw a patch of black, and none other than Superman was beside me. I jumped in surprise, and fell out of the tree. I hit the ground with a loud thud, and groaned. Superman flew down beside me, and helped me up. I leaned against the tree, and Superman stood next to me. "Caroline, come back with me, and we can settle all of this."

I looked back at him, and tears formed. I knew they were only going to hurt me more, causing a little game of feelings that erupted in my stomach. I actually felt like I belonged there, but then Manhunter skimmed through my mind. I didn't want to be read like a book. I felt vulnerable; weak. I started to run deeper in the forest, but Superman gripped my wrist with his hand.

"You belong with us, Caroline. Come back with us," He pleaded, and I snatched my hand away.

"I never belonged anywhere, and I never will!" I shouted at him before running into the safety of the forest.


	5. Chapter 5

Nightwing's POV:  
"Caroline!" I yelled after her, and Superman put a hand on my shoulder, silencing me.

"I'll try to help," He murmured before flying towards the forest. I looked on after him, and looked back at Meghan, who was looking guilty. We all stared at her, and she sighed heavily before confessing.

"I knew ever since I went into her mind. I can't tell you any more; she told me that she was going to tell you the rest. She was afraid of rejection... just like I was." I saw Connor grab her hand, and she stared at him with wide eyes. I saw Superman coming back towards us, and I saw Caroline squeezing her eyes shut, and was thrashing in his arms. He touched the ground, and she immediately jumped away from him, and tried to run away, but he instantly grabbed her, and tightened his grip on her. She had a tear-streaked face, and her usual bright eyes were dull and dark.

"Let's show Caroline around," I started, and we all agreed quickly. Superman still had his grasp on Caroline, who eventually stopped struggled, and was set down. She inspected him quickly before quietly saying, "I need to tell you all something really... important. My mother... she supposedly died when I was three, but.. she didn't exactly die. She came back to the Justice League, and she stayed there before disappearing, like Gaea did."

Everyone looked at her, and the tears were forming in her eyes. "She... she's a reincarnation of Mother Earth herself, and her father is the reincarnation of the Moon. Supposedly, when one dies or passes, it goes down the generations... so it came down to me. Gaea.. is my mother, not my ancestor." Her tears came down her cheeks, and her eyes looked at everyone of ours, and then continued. "I always thought you all were to reject me. You were thought to think I was a freak; an outcast. Someone who didn't belong. I've never belonged with anyone... and I never could belong. I always thought that, and I'm always afraid it's not going to change." She was comforted by Meghan and Artemis, and Batman spoke up.

"Is this true?" He asked, and Meghan almost looked ready to punch him in the face.

"It's true!" She shrieked at him, surprising all of us, making Caroline touch her shoulder gently. Manhunter only nodded along with her, and Caroline spoke again.

"I'll leave then, if none of you believe me." She turned, and walked away.

Caroline's POV:  
I didn't burst until I was in the middle of... somewhere. All I knew was that I was away from Mt. Justice, and my friends that I knew weren't my friends anymore. I had enough with my charade, and burst into tears, clutching my razor in my hand. I started to slash my arm.

"I'm a freak," I muttered, slashing my hand first, then trailed down to my vein. "I'll never belong." At first I slashed gently at the edge of my forearm, but then I started to go deeper when I came closer to the vein. "I'll be an outcast." I dug in deeper, and I was two more spots from the vein.

"I'll always be abused, broken." I slashed deeper, and I ignored the roaring feeling of the pain from my razor. I took a deep breath, and readied for the last blow. I dug in deeper, and I felt a vein pop. "I should go in a hole and die," I whispered, and blackness overwhelmed my vision.

Meghan's POV:  
"HOW COULD YOU?! SHE WAS ACTUALLY TELLING THE TRUTH! I FUCKING SAW HER TALKING TO HER MOM! UNCLE JOHN SAW IT TOO!" Then I did the unthinkable. I lunged towards Batman, but Connor held me back. I struggled and punched him, but his grip only tightened his grip. Fucking Superman DNA. Manhunter had a talk with Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman, and their eyes widened. Superman immediately opened the roof, and flew up.

"We need to get her immediately. Something could've happened to her..." Superman started, and Nightwing was already gone. I was right behind him, with the rest of the gang not far behind us. I summoned the ship, and we all boarded it, and I flew off, leaving a few... er... people behind. This included Batman, Green Arrow, Aqua Man, and surprisingly Flash. We saw Caroline far off of Mt. Justice, and I jumped off of the ship, with Nightwing not far behind me, landing the ship immediately. Nightwing ran to her, and fell to the ground, crying. I knelt next to him, and I noticed the blood and scars all over her, but the thing I noticed the most was her fresh cuts. Each one ran deeper, and the final one was almost suicidal.

I remembered something, and grabbed a pouch of dirt, and covered it over her scars. Grabbing the necklace she handed to me while walking out, I started to chant 'heal' over and over again. The dirt sunk in, and the Justice League landed next to us. The trees had girls ranging from children to adults reaching out of it, and walked next to Caroline. They nudged her, and Gaea herself appeared from the sky. All of us bowed, and she commanded us to rise. We all rose, and she pushed her way to Caroline.

"Rise, daughter," she kindly stated, and she was lifted off of the ground. Green and gold light streamed from in her, and different scenes came to place in the light. One was her mother dying in front of her when she was three, being lifted into the air and into the clouds. Caroline was still as beautiful as she was now; with little freckles spraying her face, with various colors of hair on her head, and big green gold eyes filled with tears.

The next scene was when she was five, with blood dripping from her arms and face, especially in the nose and mouth. She was hiding in alleys, until something came behind her. She screamed, and her father slammed her to the wall, and grabbed her by taking her arms and pulling them over her head, and she tried to struggle, but he only punched her in the ribs, like she was his personal punching bag. She cried out, and he only slapped her across the face. He dragged her with him, and the scene changed.

The last scene was the most horrifying. She was pinned against the wall, with her father's breath making her shudder. She was down to her undergarments, and his hands started to roughly pull it down, but she kicked him, making him double over in pain. He grabbed a glass bottle and threw it at her; the glass shattering against her bare skin. Caroline screamed out, and tried to run away, but he was quick too. She punched him in the gut, and he smacked her in the face. Staggering back, she cried as he smacked her in the face again... with a glass bottle. She screamed when the glass hit her neck, and she tried to cover her scar. She ran out of the room, and ran out of the house.

Gaea looked at her daughter sadly, and Caroline was motionless. She fell to the ground, and Gaea knelt next to her, placing her head in her lap. She murmured a lullaby-like song, and the wind started to blow; making flowers; leaves, and other small fragments shower their faces softly. Caroline was starting to move, and we all sighed in relief. Superman looked at Gaea with... love? I don't know, really. Gaea, smiled warmly towards him, and nodded towards Wonderwoman. Wonderwoman smiled back to her, and I noticed a bond between them all.

I ignored it, and I looked back at Caroline, who woke up, and grabbed for her arm-warmers, and slipped them on, looking at her mother with disbelief. "M-mother?" She squeaked out, and she smiled, and pulled her to her softly. Caroline rubbed her head, and Gaea stood up, and helped her up. Caroline looked up at her mother, and she only smiled in reply.

Caroline's POV:  
I felt like dying on the inside. It hurt so bad, but, I deserved it. I looked up at her, and she only smiled before Nightwing hugged me, and I leaned on him, and smiled lightly before wiping away his tears. Meghan hugged me too, and started to sob. I patted her back, and she sobbed into my shoulder. Artemis wiped off a tear before hugging me, and Wally gently hugged me around the waist. Connor and Aqualad did the same, and I looked back at my mother.

She was conversing with Superman and Wonderwoman, and I could sense the unknown tension between the three of them. My mother quickly hugged Wonderwoman, and had an awkward moment with Superman. Manhunter also noticed this, and dragged Gaea with him to converse with him and Dr. Fate, Icon, and another two superheroes that I didn't recognize.

I watched the two of them talking, and I suddenly wondered something totally weird: _Did those two date before or something?_ I face palmed myself, and I saw Meghan and Artemis staring at me. I waved them over here, and I started to talk to them.

"Why did you just face-palm yourself?" Artemis questioned with a laugh, and I just sighed, motioning towards my mother and Superman. They immediately realized it, and we all burst out laughing. "My...god...you... think... they... _dated_?!" Artemis choked out, and we burst out laughing even more. I felt someone's head on mine, and I looked up to see Nightwing looking at all of us in amusement.

I looked at him, and realized he was staring at me. My eyes widened, and I burst out laughing, while he turned into a bright red. Meghan and Artemis saw this, and started to laugh until they started to choke. Nightwing took my hand, and I laced my fingers with his, and suddenly our mentors and family came to us.

"Child, may I speak with you for a moment? This way, dear." My mother asked me kindly, and I followed her to the other side of the small clearing.


	6. Chapter 6

Nightwing's POV:  
I watched as Caroline and her mother started to talk, and I saw her mother put both of her hands on her shoulders, and kiss her forehead. Caroline backed away from her hesitantly, and ran into the woods. Gaea ran after her, and Superman looked at the two worriedly, before telling another thing to Connor, and he patted his shoulder, giving him an approving look before flying away with the rest of the Justice League. Meghan looked back at the woods, and Caroline sprinted to us, her hair streaking behind her like paint. She stopped, out of breath, and looked behind her, as if something was chasing her.

She saw the worried glances everyone was giving her, and she smiled brightly before boarding the ship. I sat next to her, and she looked back at me and pecked my cheek. Even though she kissed me, her face was a light pink before covering her face with her hoodie, and everyone laughed at her, making her blush turn to a tomato red. We landed, and Batman waited for us patiently, making Caroline give me a worried look. I looked back at her, and she immediately understood.

"I'm sorry," she started quietly, and everyone looked at her in surprise. She continued, and looked straight into Batman's eyes. "I think that I got on the wrong page with you. May I introduce myself the right way, and start over?" He only nodded, and she stuck out her hand. He shook her hand, and she felt awkward doing this. Almost everyone knew this, but apparently Batman could barely notice this. "My name is Caroline Shifter, and I'm 18 years old, and am officially an orphan." We all looked at her in surprise, and she looked down at the floor.

"Let's show her around," Meghan started, and we all shuffled to the kitchen. "This is our kitchen and living room, and this is where the boys play video games." All of the boys(yes, including me) face-palmed themselves, and all of the girls stifled laughs. "I'm happy there's another girl here. Finally! I can shop with you! All Artemis wants to do now is do archery."

"Really? Where's the targets and stuff?" Caroline questioned, and Artemis squealed. This took all of us by surprise, and Artemis started to drag Caroline to the woods. Then a ding was heard, and Meghan flew to the oven, and pulled out some cookies from the oven. Caroline cocked her head to the side, then stretched and yawned. "I... think that I'm really tired right now? Er... where do I sleep for now?" Meghan set the tray down, and placed the cookies down into a plate, and turned to her.

"Here, I'll show you. I bet you're exhausted." The two of them headed into the hall, and I looked one last time at the hallway before sitting down with the rest of them to hang out and play video games.

Caroline's POV:  
I still felt like an outsider here. I mean, what the hell are cookies? I know, right now I am really pathetic. I looked at the room that had everything from my apartment with a full sized bed with a light gray, and a black flower on the corner, with vines curling to the center of the bed. It was a beautiful design around the walls, and I sighed. It was too familiar for me, but I loved it. I sank into the bed, and Meghan sat next to me.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly, and I only took out my razor and gave it to her.

"Just... please hide this. Everyone was right. I do need to stop this." She focused, and it came out of my hands, and it disappeared. She looked back at me, and I sighed. "Fine. I... I've never had a cookie before. I've never had the love of a mother and father ever since I was three, and I almost got raped. I guess that I've had the childhood that others didn't have. I felt alone. No one wanted me, and I could easily tell that Autumn didn't want me either, and wasn't a real friend of mine. My mother was an illusion. She wasn't there... and she told me something horrible. I'll try to ignore it, and I'm tired. I'm probably forget it by tomorrow. Thanks," I sighed, and climbed under the covers after changing into a pair of mesh shorts and a tank top. My eyelids dropped, and I heard Meghan whisper 'goodbye' to me before closing the door quietly.

Meghan's POV:  
Apparently Zatanna and Rocket came over, and we all welcomed them warmly. Zatanna and Nightwing had a tension... I guess she found out about him and Caroline. Zatanna pulled Nightwing aside to talk to him, and Rocket started to watch her suspiciously.

"That girl's been wanting him ever since he got a girlfriend," she muttered, and we all looked towards Zatanna. She and Nightwing were in the hallway, and we all were getting worried. Zatanna was his ex, and also Rocket said herself that Zatanna wanted Nightwing now. I turned invisible, and looked around the corner to see him and Zatanna making out. I gasped, and so did Caroline, who was right next to me.

Caroline's POV:  
Tears welled up in my eyes, as the girls' worst nightmare came true. Nightwing cheated on me. I turned on my heel, and Nightwing quickly grabbed for my hand. I snatched it back, and I ran to my room.

Slamming the door behind me, I slid down the door, and started to sob. I heard someone beside me, and Meghan was right there beside me. I hugged my knees, and started to open the door quietly, grabbing a cloak and my pendant. I ripped on my arm warmers, and quietly escaped the place I now knew as a place of bad memories.

Nightwing's POV:  
I pushed Zatanna off of me, and started to run to get Caroline. She was long gone, and Zatanna tugged on my hand towards her direction. "What the hell was that for?!" I yelled at her. She stepped back, clearly surprised. I grabbed for a jacket, and ran out of the mountain.

Caroline's POV:  
I sat on the highest tree branch, and looked down. The rain disguised my tears, and I could see the grass next to the tree I was sitting on turn a dull almost black color. I looked around. Good, no one here. Then, I heard shouting, and I quickly hid for a different tree. I looked from the leaves, and saw Nightwing in his bare clothes, with a dry jacket, and he was riding his motorcycle. I turned back around, and the tree rustled by the wind battering brutally on my face. I could hear more rustling, and Nightwing was half the height of where I was now. "Nightwing, get down. You can get hurt. Nightwing, stop!"

It was too late. He misplaced his foot on a weak branch, and fell back to the ground. I jumped down right behind him, and knelt next to him. Why would I even care about him? He cheated on me, why should I care about him? I asked myself this over and over, but started to tend to him either way. He looked up into my face, and I looked at his arms. One was clearly broken, and the other was bruised. "Nightwing," I murmured while brushing away a strand of shaggy hair from his eyes. I realized what I did, and yanked back my hand, but he grabbed it with his bruised arm, and guided it back to his head. He looked at me in the eye and started to say something.

"Caroline. I didn't kiss her. She kissed me! I tried to get her to stop, but she was too close to push her off, and she pinned me there. Please believe me!" He pleaded, and I sighed before bandaging his broken arm. I leaned over him onto his other arm, but when I was done, I didn't realize that I was straddling him by the waist. I started to blush, and immediately tried to get off, but he pulled me by the hands gently back to him. This time, he looked at me with lust, and kissed me. I was too shocked to do anything, but I could feel his love in it. I wanted to believe him to say that he didn't do anything because he was pinned down. Could I?

Nightwing's POV:  
I stood up, and leaned against the wall, still kissing her. She was paralyzed, and her legs were still on my waist, so I wrapped them around my waist. She started to respond, but stopped, pulling away. I breathed heavily, and she looked up at me with concern.

"Nightwing, will you at least try to stop her if she tries to do that again?" She whispered to me, and I only nodded, hugging her. She kissed me, and pulled away softly. Caroline looked at my arm, and touched it gently, making me wince. She pulled away immediately, and wrapped another layer of bandages on my arm. I kissed her forehead, and she looked up at me with a small smile. "This won't heal until a few weeks, but I can reduce it to a few days at the least. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll try my best." She took a deep breath, and I lifted her chin to look at me.

"Caroline, it doesn't matter how hard you try, I'll still think that you're incredible for helping me," I said, and kissed her forehead again. She muttered some words, and a green haze appeared under the bandages, and she unwoven them, and she gasped. Her eyes were wide enough to pop out of their sockets, and she had slightly trembling fingers. "What's wrong?" I asked, and she looked at my arm, frozen.

"I...I healed it instantly. It's not broken anymore... it's completely healed." She started, then pushed me to the ground. An arrow whizzed by, and it would've shot my head if Caroline hadn't pushed me down. She stomped the earth, and the person fell forward. The person was...

Caroline's POV:  
"Artemis?" I choked out, and she only pointed behind her. I gasped, and saw an unconscious Nightwing next to an undamaged Plant Mistress. My eyes widened, and I motioned for Artemis to take cover. She immediately understood, but before she could take a step towards Nightwing, the Plant Mistress raised her hands, and plants sprouted in a circle around her, blocking and trapping her. I heard pounding on the walls of the vines, but it only strengthened them. I turned back towards the Mistress, and I screamed... "DESTROY!" at the top of my lungs.

Stalactites came up from all edges, trapping her. I jumped in, and tackled her to the ground before getting stabbed in the back side, and I winced. She looked at me with wide eyes, and I whispered to her, "unconscious". She fell to the floor, and I quickly used the energy I had to heal my wound. It didn't heal all of the way, but I transported the Plant Mistress to the Watch Tower.

The vines loosened, and Artemis stumbled out, gasping for breath. I carried Nightwing gently on my shoulders, and winced when his weight was on my back. Artemis gave me a funny look, and I shrugged, which was hard to do since I had a boy on my shoulders. We started to walk back to Mt. Justice, and walked into a room of madness.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU! YOU FUCKING KISSED NIGHTWING!" I heard Meghan scream at Zatanna, who was cornered by Meghan, and I stepped in between them after setting Nightwing on the couch.

"MEGHAN, calm down. I fixed it." I reassured her, and she seemed to relax, until Zatanna made a comment. "I SAID STOP IT." I turned towards Zatanna, who was a part of the Justice League now. "Right now, you are acting like a little six year old, even though you're in the Justice League. Why did you break up with Nightwing if you still want him? If it was anyone's fault for doing what happened, it would be yours."

She lashed out at me, punching me in the face. I only moved back a step, but I knew it was bruised pretty badly. "Ha," I stated, putting my hands on my hips. "Everyone here knows I've gone through worse." She punched me in the gut, and Meghan lunged for her, but was caught in mid-flight by both Connor and Aqualad. Meghan struggled against them, and I put a hand on her shoulder; calming her. She stopped thrashing, and I turned back to Zatanna, who was held back by Rocket. I nodded to Rocket, and she threw Zatanna into the teleporting device, and Zatanna disappeared. Rocket jumped in next, and gave me a salute. I smiled in reply, and she vanished along with the magician.

I rushed over to Nightwing, who was waking up. I felt his head, and my hand was immediately pulled back by Aqualad. "I don't think that's a good idea. The last time one of us checked on his last fever, we had blisters on our palms." He warned me, and I shrugged.

"Like I said, I've gone through worse." I smiled and thanked him for his warning, and placed a palm on his forehead. It started to burn eventually, so I withdrew my hand slowly, looking at his face. His blue eyes bored into my green eyes, and he groaned. I brushed a few strands of his hair with my fingers, and Nightwing smiled up at me.

I coughed a bit, and everyone looked at my palm, but I quickly smeared it on my hands. "Frog in my throat," I started sheepishly, and I kissed Nightwing's forehead before standing to go to my bedroom. I looked back, and he was sitting up, motioning for me to come back to him. I walked back, and helped him back to his bedroom. I sat next to him, and he laid under the comforters. I kissed his forehead before quietly closing the door walking back to my bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

Three Weeks later... Caroline's POV:  
Well, we were now back in school. Everything was normal, and apparently Teresa and her group had 'transferred' to a different country. We (meaning the gang and I... everyone else were clueless) knew what really happened.

I walked into the weight room, and I saw Nightwing on his rings. He saw me, and stopped to kiss my cheek and murmur a 'hello' in my ear. I shivered at his breath in my ear, and he laughed at me. I started on the bars, and began with pull ups. I then started chin-ups, and drank some water from my bag. I felt hands snake around my waist, and I looked up to see Nightwing looking down at me. I kissed his lips, and started on weight-lifting. "Can you help me with this?" I asked him, and he shrugged and jumped off his rings.

I smiled at him, and he stood behind me while I started to lift the bar off of my chest. When the exercise was done, he was slightly sweaty. I handed him a towel, and he replied with a 'thanks' and wiped it on himself. My mind kept on straying on the things my mother said, and Nightwing seemed to be worried about my unexplainable behavior; including my coughing fits at any unknown time.

"You okay?" He asked softly, and I looked back at him, now focused.

"Huh?" I whispered, and he motioned for me to sit with him, but then I doubled over coughing. He rushed to my side, and I wiped away the blood before he could see it. I think he did, because he grabbed me, and rushed out of the weight room.

"Meghan! Artemis! We need help! Take her to the nurse!" Nightwing shouted to them, and they slung my arms around their shoulders, and rushed out of the building. I started to cough again, and they barged into the nurse's office. Instead of the nurse there, it was Zatanna and the principal.

"Girls, meet Zatanna; the new student here."

The both of them gasped. I started to calm Meghan when she lunged for Zatanna, and Artemis stood there glaring at Zatanna. The principal left, leaving us and the nurse alone. Artemis supported me as I started to walk into the inner office where the nurse was, and Artemis was also pulling along Meghan, who was cursing out a laughing Zatanna.

The nurse turned around, and sat me down in a chair. She made me undress to my waist and undergarments, and she gasped at the stab wound at the back part of the ribs I got from the stalactite. I covered it before Artemis and Meghan could see, and the nurse kicked them out instantly. She leaned closer, and I recognized the disguise immediately. "Black Canary?!" I whispered, and she uncovered her wig before leaning in closer to me.

"Where the hell did you get that?!" She almost yelled, and I drew back before she started to bandage my rib area.

"I got it while trying to protect a Plant Mistress," I mumbled, and she looked up at me with a shocked expression.

"Why would you even try to that?" She hissed, and I took a deep breath, but then grimaced.

"I said the wrong command. I said 'destroy'. I never say that command, because I never knew what it could possibly do. So, when I said that, I was afraid of killing her, because it was the wrong thing to do, so I tackled her to the ground. That's where I got this." I answered, pointing towards my bandage. I coughed again, and this time it was a scarlet red. I smeared it, but she snatched my hand, and turned it over. Her eyes widened, and she gave me a napkin when I coughed more blood. I looked at it, then wiped my mouth with my arm warmer, then threw the napkin away. I started to hear screaming and shouts from the waiting room outside, and I opened the door to see Meghan and Zatanna in a fight.

Artemis' POV:  
Caroline stepped out of the nurse's office to see Meghan and Zatanna in a fight, and I felt sorry for her. She gets involved with everything that happens here now. I heard footsteps, and Wally and Aqualad were outside, staring with wide eyes at Zatanna and Meghan. Aqualad pulled Meghan off of Zatanna, and Wally pulled Zatanna into the opposite direction. We all started to walk outside to the courtyard, and Zatanna slapped Wally in the face.

I stepped forward, but Caroline put a hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed a little. Caroline stepped in between Meghan and Zatanna, who apparently got out of the boys' grasps, and lunged for each other. She put out her hands, and Meghan skidded to a stop. Of course, Zatanna kept on going; which resulted to punching her in the face. Blood splattered against the metal pole, and Caroline wiped it off carelessly. Zatanna humphed, and I almost charged towards her. Zatanna ripped at Caroline's shirt, and the bottom part of it was tattered; showing bruises in various places; and bandages around her ribs down to above her hips.

We all gasped, and we turned towards Zatanna; who was rolling on the floor laughing. "My god!" She giggled, and punched Caroline in the gut; making her double over in pain. "Did your dad do this?! Did he not want you in his family? Oh, better yet, did you lose your V-card with him?! You did, didn't you?" Zatanna doubled over laughing, and Caroline lifted her head to meet her gaze; a murderous look on her face.

Then, Caroline did the unexpected. She swung her fist at Zatanna's face, and Zatanna flew to the other side of the courtyard. Caroline ran into the building crying, and we followed her. She ran into the bathroom, and Meghan and I ran in after her.

"Caroline, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Meghan asked softly, and I heard the door unlock, and Caroline stepped out, a smile plastered onto her face.

"I'm fine. Let's go to lunch, I feel like eating an enchilada." Caroline sighed with a dreamy look on her face, and the both of us laughed at that. We walked out of the bathroom, and Wally and Aqualad were waiting for us. All of us started to chat about random subjects, and we walked casually to the cafeteria.

Caroline's POV:  
I chewed on my enchiladas, listening intently to their conversation; trying not to let my mind stray on other things. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, and I saw one of Zatanna's friends pass me a note. It had a recording, and I popped it into my phone. I stepped out of the room, and turned it on.

I distinctly heard Nightwing's voice in it, so I kept on listening. It kept on going, and my phone fell to the floor when I heard the next sentences. "I never want to see your face again. You disgust me. We should've never gone out!" I heard him shout in it, and I picked back up the phone with trembling fingers.

My lip started to quiver, and I walked back into the cafeteria, and looked in Nightwing's direction with a hurt expression. Quietly picking up my things, I left my phone there, and wrote on a piece of paper, 'You really meant this?', and ran out of the cafeteria. I signed out of school, and started to walk back to Mt. Justice. Before I got there, though, I saw a note on the crosswalk while walking across it. I picked it up, and it read:

'Who's laughing now?'

I stood up, and felt lights shine on me. I turned, and saw the car intersect with my body, with Zatanna in the front seat. The note fell out of my hands, and blackness overcame me.


	8. Chapter 8

Meghan's POV:  
Caroline stepped out of the cafeteria for a moment, then came back, and left again. This time, though, she brought all of her stuff except for her phone and a piece of paper. I took both of the things, and my eyes widened.

"Guys..." I started, and everyone turned towards me. "I really think we need to go and look at this recording that Caroline has on her phone..." Wally took it at lightning speed, and played it. All of our eyes widened, and we turned to Nightwing, whose expression was shocked and angry. I looked at the paper in my hand. It said 'You really meant this?', and there were tears splattered on the paper. I handed it to Nightwing, and his eyes widened.

"I remember saying this, but not into this." He replied, pointing to the phone. He snapped his fingers, and spoke again. "I remember saying this to Zatanna! But why... oh that bitch!" He shouted, and we all looked at him. "Zatanna gave Caroline this recording, and Caroline thought I meant it for her!" Nightwing explained, and the TV in the cafeteria switched onto the news immediately.

"Breaking News: There has been sightings of the Justice League rushing out to an unknown place. Also, there has been a car accident with a girl named Caroline Shifter; an 18 year old girl who was walking home from school and was caught in a hit-and-run accident. Was this planned, or was this by accident? We'll have more coming on CNN!" The reporter stated, and we all ran out of the building.

Superman's POV:  
Wonderwoman, Manhunter, Icon, Rocket, Green Lantern, and I flew around the roads; searching for Caroline. We had just gotten back from a mission, and there was an alarm from the news. Caroline had gotten hit with a car, and so that's how we started our search. We found her; about ten blocks away from Mt. Justice, and we flew down from the sky next to Caroline. Rocket was the first one to reach her, and noticed the skid marks. Her eyes widened, and she picked up a piece of pale white cloth.

"This was Zatanna's cloth from the pants she wore to school today," She murmured, and I picked Caroline up, and hugged her to my chest.

"So you're saying that Zatanna was here at the accident?" I heard Icon say, and Rocket nodded. Wonderwoman knelt next to me, and felt for a pulse. She smiled faintly, and looked up at me.

"She's got a faint pulse; but it's almost gone. We need to get her to the watchtower as fast as we can, otherwise she won't make it." She said softly, and I looked up from Caroline's face.

"Wonderwoman... the last time Gaea and I talked... she asked me to keep Caroline safe. I broke that promise, Diana." Wonderwoman was struck back in surprise. She was never called Diana. Only Batman and I were able to call her that, but only in a bad situation. "I'm no superhero. Superheroes are supposed to keep their promises, and keep people safe without promising it. I broke both of those in one situation." Wonderwoman placed a hand on my shoulder, and made me look at her.

"Superman, you are a hero. You came down here to save someone, even though you had no ties with her once so ever. You could've risked your life just coming down here. There could've been a different problem, but you came here. That's a hero, to be selfless. You are that." Wonderwoman persuaded me, and I picked Caroline off of the ground just as our apprentices broke from the bushes. Meghan cried out, and rushed to her. Connor and Manhunter came next to her, and dragged her away from the scene. Artemis picked up a bloody note, and her eyes widened.

"Er... everyone... you need to check this out." She stated, and we gathered around her. She looked down at the message. It said:

'Who's laughing now?'

I flew up with Caroline still in my arms, but Wonderwoman grabbed my arm. "She's human, remember?"

I shook my head. "She's a reincarnation of Mother Earth and the Moon, remember? She'll be able to breathe in outer space." I explained, and we all started to fly up to the Watchtower.

Meghan's POV:  
"CAROLINE! SHE... SHE...NOO!" I screamed and sobbed into my uncle's chest, and Connor was stroking my hair, awkward in this situation. I looked up at him, and he gave me a worried expression. I sobbed again, and buried my head in Connor's chest. He looked surprised, then wrapped his arms around me. I cried more, and I looked over at Nightwing, who was pacing the room, raking his hand through his hair.

"I lost her... the last thing she thought... so stupid... GAH!" He shouted, and Aqualad started to try comfort him. Wally was almost crying while holding Artemis, who was lightly crying. She looked up from him, and she spoke for the first time ever since she found the note.

"We're here." She stated, and all of us stood up. I wiped away my tears, and Connor kept himself near me. I leaned on his shoulder, and we entered the main room. Superman was there, along with Batman, Wonderwoman, Green Arrow, Flash, Icon, Rocket, and of course, the bitch Zatanna. Both me and Artemis lunged at her, but Wally and Connor, along with my uncle, held us back.

"SHE DID THIS TO HER! SHE HAS TO PAY! ZATANNA, YOU WILL DIE FOR WHAT YOU DID!" I screamed, and she flew into the wall. I smothered her mind relentlessly, until Uncle stopped it all, causing him to lose all his energy. I lunged for her again, but Connor held me back again. I struggled against him, and started to weaken. I stopped thrashing reluctantly, and he let me go, still close to me if I attempted it again.

Superman looked sadly at Caroline, and she started to move. She sat up weakly, then covered her bandages with her arms, but then she started to shiver uncontrollably, even though she was trying to hide it. Nightwing immediately ran to her, but she cowered back, which was into Superman's arms before she could fall onto the floor. Everyone was wide-eyed at this, and Nightwing had tears in his eyes.

"Can I talk to Caroline for a moment?" Nightwing asked, and we all left the room, and we waited outside of the door.

Caroline's POV:  
"Nightwing, you said yourself that I disgusted you, and you regretted going out with me, and-" Nightwing didn't let me finish my sentence, because his lips were connected with mine. I pulled away, and I looked at his tear-filled eyes. The tears spilled, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. He leaned on it, and I laid back down. "Did you actually say those things into the recorder?" I asked softly, and he shook his head.

"I said those things after I pushed Zatanna off of me when she kissed me." I could feel the venom in his voice, and I looked down at my hands which were in my lap. He sat next to me on a stool, and I looked at him. "Caroline, if I regretted going out with you, wouldn't I have told you earlier?" He asked, and everyone came in abruptly. I groaned, and rubbed my head.

Zatanna came in last, and smirked at my pained expression. I gasped, and started to tremble visibly. Superman, Nightwing, and Meghan noticed this, and ran to my side. "She... She did this!" I said weakly and started to tremble more when she stepped forward.

"We know she did this, Caroline." Rocket replied, and held a piece of torn cloth with two fingers. Zatanna stepped forward, but was encased by a force field made by Icon. Zatanna pounded on it by instinct, but it only grew stronger. Superman then spoke when Green Arrow and Batman held her tightly.

"By injuring an apprentice and harassing one, you are now out of the Justice League, and lose your privilege of having contact with either apprentice or League member." Zatanna's eyes widened, and she lunged for me, punching and scratching me in the face. I staggered back, and Zatanna was pulled away from my bruised face by Batman and Dr. Fate. She screamed at me, and I flinched at her last remark.

"Your family didn't even want you, that's why your mother killed herself, and your father raped you! They didn't want to see your dirty scarred face, so they dumped you on the streets! You'll never be wanted! You'll be broken for the rest of your miserable life, and you'll never be loved!"

My eyes widened, and everyone shoved her out of the room. I burst into tears, and Nightwing pressed my head against his chest, while Superman patted my shoulder with his hand. Meghan was about to charge her, along with Artemis, but both of the boys (yes, including Manhunter and Aqualad) held them down and tried to calm them down.

I was lifted into the air by Superman, and was put into a room that I was going to be kept in for more days to come. I fell under the covers, and Nightwing and Meghan came in. Nightwing sat next to me on a stool, and Meghan quickly kissed my forehead before leaving the room. Nightwing stroked my hair, and stayed there for a while. I felt my eyelids shutting, and he kissed my forehead softly before leaving the room.

Meghan's POV:  
I spotted Zatanna packing her things from her room while I was walking in the hallway. I heard her say a remark, and I turned around to see her. "What did you just say to me, little bitch?" I put my hands on my hips, and played all Sass Master on her.

"You know, the attitude only ruins your already-horrible personality of yours. And anyways, your skirt is always up so high, you slut." She replied, and skimmed a nail filer on her perfectly manicured nails, and I felt my temper fuming.

"Says the person who's wearing a leotard." I retaliated, and she stepped towards me. I shooed her away, and she staggered backwards. She gave me a murderous gaze, and I spotted Connor walking towards me. He took my hand gently, and I was dragged away, leaving Zatanna laughing; still packing her things.

"Meghan, we need to stay away from her! She only erupts the bad things inside of us. I can't believe that she was so nice to us when she was like us... but now. Now, she's a bitch." Connor stated, and I couldn't help but shed a tear. He noticed, and wiped it away awkwardly. "Why are you crying?" He questioned softly, and I looked back where Zatanna's room was.

"I just... It's just that she used to be so nice to us. She was so... innocent. And young. Now, she's matured, and now she's horrible. She's changed." I started, but started to cry. He wrapped his arms around me, and lifted my chin with his first two fingers. He leaned in closer, and crushed his lips against mine. My eyes drooped, and my cheeks reddened in shock and embarrassment.

He pulled away, then held my hand while we walked back to our rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

Next week... Caroline's POV:  
The Justice League disguised themselves, and went to the school that we all went to. Superman was disguised to look like my father (awkward moment there), and Wonderwoman my mother, to tell them that I wasn't coming back to school for a while, but I was all right. Some like Red Tornado and Black Canary actually applied jobs there, and so now I have two League members making sure that Zatanna doesn't lay a finger on any of us anymore.

I still wasn't able to go back to school, so other League members like Rocket and Superman stayed with me to make sure nothing happened to me. I had many coughing spasms, but not as many as before. I felt better, and my scars were beginning to heal. It still would be a long time for them to heal.

They came back from after school, and I greeted them all at the main room. "Hi you guys," I started, and Meghan flew over to me.

"Hey Caroline. I got homework from your classes, and Nightwing's going to help train you. Zatanna's been a bitch ever since the... accident." I laughed at her last remark, and she smiled at me.

"Isn't she always?" I asked, and she laughed at that. Nightwing hugged me from behind, and I leaned onto him.

He kissed my forehead, and whispered in my ear, "Meet you at training." I smiled up at him, and he ruffled my hair before going off to talk to Aqualad and Wally. Meghan was with Connor, and he kissed her forehead before talking to the boys about video games. Funny, how your life is practically a video game, yet you play them. I sat with Artemis, and she looked weary. I pulled her up, and brought her to my room before she vomited on... me.

"OH GOD! CAROLINE, I'M SO SORRY!" I heard Artemis sob, and I patted her back, and started to laugh.

"Artemis, this is nothing to me. It's fine, I can just get a change of clothes. We need to get _you_ fixed though." I replied, and changed quickly before I heard her vomit again. "God, Artemis. What'd you do?" I asked while stripping to my waist, and throwing my used shirt in the hamper in the bathroom.

"I think it's bad digestion..." She started before vomiting again. "I don't really know..." She puked again, and I couldn't help but sigh with sympathy. I dragged her into her own room, and she vomited again. This time, she collapsed on the bed, and I brought the can of vomit to her side, and she puked in it again. I patted her head, and she looked up at me with teary eyes. I checked her forehead, and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Jeez, Artemis! Your forehead is burning like a kettle full of tea!" I almost screamed at her, and she cocked her head to the side. I sighed, then said, "No, I don't know what that means." She laughed at that, then ran into the bathroom and vomited again. I called out to her, "Artemis, I'm getting Black Canary. Your fever is really high, and I don't want to risk it." She only groaned, and I ran out of the bathroom and into the main room. My ribs ached, and I felt stinging at the back of my spine and side of my abdomen. I started to pant, and Meghan came to my side, followed by Superman and Nightwing.

"Caroline, don't overwork yourself. What'd you do?" Meghan asked gently, and I only shook my head.

"Not important right now. Black Canary... I need... you... to go to... Artemis... she's sick," I finished, and ran out, leading Black Canary to Artemis' room.

Meghan's POV:  
Caroline just came in saying that Artemis was sick with a high fever and serious vomit. Evidence... her clothes. I felt like gagging, but I just walked out of the main room, and rushed to where Artemis was. Wally arrived there first (no surprise there), and was crouching next to Artemis, who was kneeling at the toilet. Caroline was on the other side of her, and Black Canary set Artemis on the bed. She checked her temperature, and she took it out with a tsking sound, as if she was scolding her.

"Child, you have an over-average fever, so you will be staying here for tomorrow, and possibly the rest of the week." Black Canary stated, and all of our eyes widened. "You will be with Caroline then, and if she likes, she may help you. But, don't overwork her, because she may collapse of all the movement. She's still weak from the accident... and other... injuries." I swear I saw her exchange glances with Caroline, and she rubbed her sides... almost anxiously. I looked over to her, and she only smiled back at me. This escalated my worries, and an idea popped in my head.

"After all of this, can we go to the beach or something? For fun?" I asked, and everyone looked at me with a 'the fuck?' look. I shrugged and responded, "It'll get all of the stress off of everyone's shoulders. I thought it would be a good idea..." Caroline immediately continued.

"I think it's a good idea. We've all had a tough time, and we need to do something peaceful for a few hours." Everyone in the room shrugged, and started to nod in agreement. Some shuffled out of the room, and I yelled out to them, "This weekend we're going to an amusement park nearby...er... near the school! See you there!"

I shut the door behind me, and Caroline yawned. "I better be going now... I feel like I ran a mile..." she murmured, and Nightwing caught her when she stumbled on a bundle of arrows. Caroline leaned on him, and I quickly hugged her before Nightwing and Caroline headed to her room. Artemis was asleep, and Black Canary and Wally were on one side; watching her intently.

_My work here is done,_ I thought, and stepped out of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Caroline's dream Caroline's POV (well of course it's gonna be her pov no duh! :P):  
I woke up in Nightwing's lap, and looked up at him. He was with me, and everyone was around us. Suddenly, Zatanna appeared, and flicked her hand at me and Nightwing. Nightwing pushed me away from him, and I fell to the ground.

"Sorry, but I was only with you for fun. I was really fucking Zatanna out of her mind, while I was only kissing you, when I could've done so much more..." He laughed, and he started to walk towards Zatanna, and she only gave me a slight smirk, and his hand started to explore her sides. I cringed, and I felt tears well in my eyes. I felt them spill, and I wiped them away with my hands. I looked at my forearms, and I screamed. All of my wounds started to reopen, and I was bleeding deeply. All of my friends started to disappear. The last person to disappear was my mother, who looked at me sadly, and her words echoed in my mind:

You are the chosen one,  
to be sacrificed to your home,  
filled with sorrow, unpleasant foes,  
dipped in lava, ice, and storm,  
your loved ones slip into the dark,  
you shall walk alone among others,  
and forever stay alone

I started to shiver, and I laid down in the meadow again. Everyone was gone. They were right; the prophecies were right. I'm sacrificed to my home; the earth, sorrow of my loved one with Zatanna, my foe. My heart was dipped in lava for burning, then ice for immunity to love again, then storm for what Nightwing has caused me. Everyone slipped into the dark, which was disappearing, leaving me alone. I was powerful, and was alone because of my inhuman powers and strengths, for which I will always stay alone for.

I felt my eyelids glue shut, and I sank into the deep earth, slowly suffocating, but dying fast.

Present Caroline's POV:  
I felt someone shaking me, and I looked to my side to see Nightwing with a worried expression and him shouting my name. I felt my cheeks, and they were sticky with tears. I looked back at him, and he only smiled sadly before wiping away the happy tears as I hugged him.

"I-I had a d-dream that you and Z-Zatanna were together and everyone was gone!" I choked out, and he set me on his lap, staring down at me. "You guys were all gone, and my wounds reopened, and... and I..." I couldn't finish that sentence, but Nightwing held me closer to him.

"I won't let that happen to you, Caroline. Not now, and not ever." He replied, and he kissed my forehead before leaving for school.

Nightwing's POV:  
I cursed as I pulled myself back up to a normal stance for the rings. I had a lot of things on my mind. First, it was all about Zatanna. She hurt _my_ Caroline. Zatanna lied about hurting her, and lost her place in the Justice League. That's big shit. Next was Caroline. She was always crying and trembling in her sleep, as if she was in the middle of a crisis. Caroline seemed like she was hiding something important from me, and it seemed really important. She was distant; not wanting to talk as much as before her... incident.

I didn't know I was sweating in a pool of blood until Aqualad came in, and did a 'manly' scream, and dragged me to the nurse's office. I apparently collapsed, and my mouth was bleeding because I fell on my face. I_ hope_ you guys can know what happens then. I was now at the Watchtower, and everyone was in their uniforms; including Caroline.

She entered the room, and the room felt... brighter. Caroline took one look at me, and rushed to my side. "What happened to you?" She asked softly, and I only smiled at her, and kissed her forehead. She smiled gently at me, but she gripped my hand tightly when Zatanna walked in.

I could see Zatanna notice her, and she only smirked; making Artemis huff. "Don't get your panties in a knot, bitch. I'm only getting my stuff, not anything serious." Caroline let go of my hand, and she walked up to Zatanna. What she said next surprised all of us.

"Zatanna, I'm sorry. I... I think we got on the wrong foot, so can we start over?" Even Zatanna was surprised at this. Zatanna clearly didn't want to, because she punched her in the back of her ribs, making her to collapse on the ground. Meghan ran to Caroline's side, and she only lifted up her head, and stood up. I didn't know if Caroline was crying or not, but I almost charged towards Zatanna. Aqualad noticed this, and held me back. I looked back at Caroline, and she was standing up, and was discussing something with Meghan. Suddenly, the Justice League came into the room, and gave us our mission. The team and I rushed through the teleporting device, and we were on our way to our mission.

Caroline's POV:  
Artemis was back at the Watchtower, because of her sickness. I was able to come along, but they gave me my uniform: a bra like top with a sash like cloth bridging the top and bottom together. It was a one-shoulder, and shimmered a rainbow of blue, gold, green, and silver. My bottom was one end longer than the other, and there was leggings under it, thank the gods! The last touch to it was a roman silver and platinum wreath bound on my head. It made me look like a goddess. "I feel like I'm a whore," I muttered as I stepped out of my room after transforming.

Everyone's eyes widened, and I immediately cowered back. Nightwing came next to me, and whispered in my ear, "You look like a goddess, Caroline. You're beautiful." I blushed a fire engine red, and he only laughed at me before kissing my lips gently. I led him by the hand before we were out of earshot and eyesight from the others. I burst out crying, and he caught me by the hands before I fell on my knees crying. "What...What's wrong, Caroline?" He asked gently, and I looked up at him, then he knelt down to my level, and leaned in closer to me.

"I...I might not ever see any of you a-again... it said in the prophecies...you are all going to... die if I... don't complete it..." I burst out crying, and he only lifted my chin with his two fingers; making me look at his gray and blue eyes.

"Tell me your prophecy first, Caroline." He whispered to me, and more tears dropped from my eyes. The visions kept on coming back to me...

I was about to speak, but Wally came to us, and I quickly stood up. "Yeah, Wally?" I asked quietly, and his eyes widened, noticing that we were in a middle of a conversation.

"Er, sorry, I think I interrupted on something, I'll just-"

"It's fine, and we're ready to go. I'm thinking we really need to go now?" I asked again, and he only nodded. I pulled Nightwing up with his hand, and he grabbed onto my wrist tightly.

"You need to tell me later," He whispered, and I only kissed him softly on the cheek, since that was the highest point I reach. He smiled lightly, and I whispered back to him.

"There may not be a next time, but I love you with all of my heart." He looked down at me; clearly surprised, and hugged me tightly, and buried his head in my hair. I could feel the wet moisture of his tears, and I wiped them off of his cheeks with my hand. I smiled up at him, and led him back to the main room, and through the teleporting device.

Nightwing's POV:  
We were at a quiet meadow, and Caroline took a few steps back, as if it was familiar to her. I looked over at her, and she only plastered a smile on her face before she and Meghan both flew up in the air.

"TAKE COVER!" They both screamed to us, and we all scampered off of the meadow, for it started to get bombed, following Caroline's path.

"CAROLINE, GO!" Aqualad screeched at her, but she stayed frozen, looking across from her, then, there was a flash, and a body intercepted her. She fell to the ground, and immediately, a green force field covered the person who intercepted the blow.

"MEGHAN!" Connor yelled, and Meghan fell to the ground motionless. Caroline ran to her, and started to chant. A breeze started, but then it receded. Caroline looked up, and was flown back, and tumbled to the edge of the meadow. Zatanna was in her place, and a gruesome smile tugged at her lips. She flicked her hand, and Caroline was thrown to her, and held high in a choke hold.

"Ah, a quite magnificent kill to bring to the master..." Zatanna murmured, and she tightened her grip on Caroline. "But... I came for something else." She whisked her arm, and chanted a few words. Aqualad was thrown into an empty spot of the meadow, and Caroline screamed. She started to thrash, and Aqualad was encased in a force field, but then a fire erupted, and started to chew on the other force field. "You're going to lose anyway, weakling. You see, Nightwing didn't tell you the whole story now, didn't he?"

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed, and tackled her to the ground. She smiled up at me, and I was pulled off of the ground. I looked down to see Caroline , who was looking at me with hurt eyes, but she quickly washed it off. She looked at Aqualad, and he was trembling under the heat and pressure. Kid Flash was there, and Connor was next to Meghan. "That's all you wanted," I muttered, looking at Zatanna with a murderous glare. "All you wanted was to tear us apart, and that would test our loyalty. You're setting us up, and something else is going to happen, isn't it?"

She cackled, and it sounded more like a growl than a laugh. "Well, the slowest horse crosses the finish line, I see. Yes, but do you see? I've done what I've been called here for. So, I technically have won. Ta ta." She disappeared just as Caroline threw her spell, but it only disintegrated. Caroline ran back to Meghan, and started to chant. She abruptly stopped, and Connor started to shake her shoulders.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! MEGHAN'S HURT BECAUSE OF YOU! BECAUSE OF YOU, SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF-"

"STOP IT! I'M TRYING THE BEST I CAN! I WAS... I was only trying to help... Zatanna's weakness...the prophecies..." Caroline blinked back tears, and she stood up. I looked at her worriedly, but she wouldn't even look on my gaze. She checked on Aqualad, and she then turned to Meghan. "It.. it was my... fault...all mine... I hope you will forgive me, Meghan..."

I cocked my head, and she knelt back to her side, and started to chant. The leaves started to rustle, and the trees seemed like they were whispering to us. Meghan was lifted into the air, and gold and green light shone through her. She then crumbled, and flew up into Caroline's cupped hands.

"Now you'll always be watching us, old friend, and best teammate..." I heard Caroline murmur, and she threw it up into the night sky. Suddenly, there was a bright light, and there was a new constellation. Caroline collapsed, and Connor surprisingly caught her. He carried her to the ship, and I could see that he knew the cold truth.

Meghan was...dead.


	11. Chapter 11

Caroline's POV:  
I blankly stared at the wall in front of me, and I started to feel the tears in my eyes spill like a bucket overflowed with water. I stifled sobs, and hugged my knees to my chest. I was back in my room in Mt. Justice, and I could see Meghan above me, looking down at us. I started to hiccup, and the doorknob rattled. I only looked back to the wall, and I could hear shouts outside of the door.

Realization was still dawning on me. Meghan; Meghan was like a sister that I never had... actually one of the two sisters that I never had. I still had Artemis, and I was glad for that. The door opened quietly, and I saw Nightwing out of the corner of my eye. He sat behind me, and I heard him say a quiet but gentle 'hello', and I silently nodded, trying to hide the sobs that were encased in words. Nightwing slid me onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around me. I started to sob again, and he only murmured something.

"Can you say that again? I... I couldn't hear anything. I guess... I guess my mind was in... a... different... place." I stammered until I started to sob, and he only squeezed me closer to him, and his hold tightened. He turned me around, and he wiped away the tears in my eyes before kissing my forehead. I stared blankly into space, and he lifted my chin, so I would look at him.

"My real name... isn't Nightwing. It's... Richard. I like to be called Dick, but I prefer Nightwing." He looked at me in pain, and I leaned into him. He only hugged me again, and laid me under the covers. I stared distantly up at the clear ceiling, and I saw Meghan's constellation shining brightly, with her smile and determined glint in her eye staring back at me.

I felt something shift beside me, and I saw Nightwing sitting next to me. I crept closer to him, until I could grip his hand in mine. I looked back at him, and he kissed my forehead before watching me fall asleep.

Nightwing's POV:  
I kissed her forehead one more time, then stepped out of her room to see Artemis and the rest of the team with a worried expression on their faces.

"Is she all right?" Artemis whispered to me, and I shook my head. "Meghan's death has effected all of us..." Artemis started to cry, and Aqualad and Wally patted her back and shoulder with sympathy. I looked at her with sadness and sympathy, and turned towards Connor, who looked like he was crying for a long time. I patted his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"SHE'S NOT DEAD!" He shouted, and we all looked at him with a 'SHUT UP YOU MOTHER FUCKER!' look, but he completely ignored it. "IF CAROLINE DIDN'T... IF SHE ACTUALLY TRIED TO MOVE, THEN MEGHAN WOULDN'T HAVE DEFENEDED HER! UGH, IT'S ALL-"

He suddenly stopped, and opened the door to see Caroline up, with her hair sprawled everywhere; hugging her knees; staring blankly at the ceiling. Artemis almost exploded, but then Caroline looked at our direction with hurt. She then clambered out of her bed, then took a picture and climbed out of the window at the back wall of her room.

I was about to follow her, but Connor sped in front of me, and jumped out of the window behind her.

Caroline's POV:  
I laid down on the roof of the mountain like building, and looked up at the sky. "I'm so sorry... Meghan. I never... meant to... hurt you... I... It was all my... fault." I started to sob again, and I felt a hand pat my head awkwardly. I looked up from my hands to see Connor next to me. "It was my fault... that your love... is dead.. Why are you... trying to comfort me... then?" I sniffled, and he only gave me a tissue for me to wipe my nose.

"Because I think it's the right thing to do... I think that a friend should comfort another in a time of need." He wrapped his arms around me when I started to sob more, but I pushed away from his arms. I saw a bright light, and Meghan was floating in front of us. When her feet touched the solid ground of the roof, I rushed to her in a hug.

"MEGHAN!" I sobbed into her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around me, and patted my back. She let go, and kissed Superboy passionately, and smiled at him. He smiled back at her, and she then turned to me. "Caroline, it was not your fault that I died. My death was a reminder. It was to show that you don't have all the time that you actually think you have. If you don't finish your future..." She shook her head, as if she knew what was going to happen. "It will be chaos." She turned back to Connor, and kissed his forehead. "Connor, I love you with all of my heart. You and I will reunite in a shortened time, don't worry. I do love you, so don't forget it." She started to disappear, and I started to run towards her, but she was in the middle of the sky, and not on solid ground.

"CAROLINE, STOP!" Both Meghan and Connor screamed to me, and I stopped before I could fall the height of over ten stories to my death.

"Meghan, don't... don't go... I need you!" I shouted, but she was already gone.

The weekend Nightwing's POV:  
I walked in Caroline's room, and she was staring at a picture in her hands, and I was about to creep up on her, but she then murmured, "Don't even try, Nightwing... you're as stealthy as a water buffalo." I pretended to have a hurt expression, and flopped down on the bed beside her.

"Caroline! That's so mean, especially since we're on a team of superheroes!" I spoke in a mock-hurt voice, and she kissed my lips before I could finish my statement. I wrapped my hands around her waist, and she looked back at me with a happy expression. I could easily see through it, and I saw an unbearable sadness. Caroline leaned back, and she hugged her knees. I grabbed at her hands, and she smiled sweetly at me.

Her eyes widened, and she jumped out of bed sluggishly. Then, she started to curse in different languages. "SHIT! SHIZA! MIERDA!" She started to rummage through her clothes, and came out from the bathroom in a lacy gray sleeveless shirt, with a ribbon tied at her waist, a pair of ripped short shorts, and gray converse. She had her hair in a bun, then twisted it, and lazily put a barrette at the bottom part, making the top flop on the barrette, and she finished her look with a pair of black arm warmers.

I had my mouth open, and she only kissed my cheek before waving her hand in my face. I woke up from my daze, and she smiled lightly. "You forgot about the amusement park, didn't you?" She asked, and my eyes widened. "Remember? Meghan wanted to do this for our stress..." I didn't want her to finish, so I only nodded, and she sighed in relief. There was a knock on the door, and Artemis with everyone else (including the Justice League) opened the door, and we all clambered into the van, and sped to the amusement park Six Flags (Yes, very "creative" and "new", I know).

Caroline's POV:  
The seating arrangement was quite complicated, really. The Justice League took their own van, but Batman took our car. Aqualad was in the front with Batman, and Artemis was with Wally in the first row. In the back row, it was me, Nightwing, and Superboy. I had a bag with my wallet full of money, my ID, and a picture of my friends and I. I had this bag in my lap, and I awkwardly drummed my fingers on the leather seats, listening to a tune. Connor seemed lonely, so I tried to talk to him.

"Hey," I touched his arm gently, and he looked at me with one eyebrow propped up. I shrugged, and he turned towards me. "Someone told me that comforting a friend when they need it is the right thing to do."

He smiled, and then the car stopped. I looked at Nightwing, and he was fast asleep. I nudged him gently, then smacked him on the arm when he wouldn't budge. He jerked away, and all of us stifled laughs at his priceless expression. I whipped out my phone, and squeaked, "Say cheese," before snapping my iPhone at his face, and we all laughed even more. I quickly pecked his cheek, and he seemed to brighten up a little more.

His shaggy hair fell into his face, and I sighed before brushing it out of his face, for which he smiled at. I smiled back, then saw the amusement park. A sad frown replaced my smile, and I went back into the van, to get my bag. I looked for it, and found it laying on the seat that I occupied. I picked it up, then sighed and brought the phone that Nightwing was listening to music on. I slipped it into my purse, and I ran out to catch up to them as they were walking up to the ticket stands.

Artemis' POV:  
Caroline went back into the van, and came back with us, and the Justice League were in front of us. Superman and Wonderwoman were disguised as Caroline's and Superboy's parents.. (er... as I said before, awkward moment there), Green Arrow looked like my uncle, with Black Canary my aunt, (not hard to do) and Flash was Wally's uncle also (This doesn't make any sense... Flash already is Wally's uncle, never mind.) Batman was to be Nightwing's father, and Manhunter looked like Caroline's uncle. Icon and Rocket looked like Aqualad's sister and father, so they got along well.

Superman hugged Caroline, along with Wonderwoman, and then he hugged and shook hands with Connor. Green Arrow and Black Canary hugged me, and patted my shoulders, while Wally and Flash shook hands and had a casual conversation. Nightwing and Batman... had an awkward moment. I picked up a few words, but it didn't really sound like a natural greeting.

"So, what do you all want to do first?" Caroline chirped, and everyone shrugged, and I sighed, while Wally face-palmed himself. The three of us urged them to follow us, and we led them to the rides.

"Let's go on the Eagle; it's easy-going, so it'll just be a warm-up, so we can go on _more intense_ rides afterward." Caroline started, and she sounded like a little kid who's planning on stealing their family's cookie jar or something.

"OH YEAH?! WELL, I BET THAT I CAN GO ON THE MOST INTENSE RIDE HERE, AND NOT EVEN SCREAM!" Connor exclaimed, and Caroline and I exchanged glances before we pushed him towards the hardest, fastest, roller coaster that we ever knew of: The treacherous Red Bull.

5 minutes later:  
"HEEEEEELP ME! SOMEONE GET ME OFF THIS MENACING THING! HELP!" We all heard Connor's screams, and all of the kids burst out laughing... except for Caroline. Sure, she laughed a little, but something was bothering her majorly; all of us could tell. When Connor came off, he was wobbly-legged, and Caroline and Superman helped him up when he fell from his unsteadiness. She laughed softly, and he looked up at her with a brotherly love and concern. Caroline ruffled his hair, and I started to lead everyone to the Eagle.

Caroline's POV:  
The pairings were in the front: Superman, Wonderwoman, Manhunter; the second row: Icon, Rocket, and Aqualad; the third row: Artemis, Green Arrow and Black Canary; in the fourth row: Wally and Flash; and in the last row: Nightwing, me, and Superboy. I gripped onto Nightwing, and I held a hand out to Superboy; seeing that he was holding the bar too tight. He took it, and I squeezed it before the drop came. Then, it suddenly stopped, and we were in the middle of the down-fall.

"Oh gods, this isn't good!" I muttered, and I belted out of the roller coaster. Nightwing followed me, with the rest of them not far behind. I squeezed Nightwing's hand, and I looked up at him. He kissed my nose, then my lips, then hugged me before leaving with Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Artemis. I was on my own, while Rocket, Icon, and Aqualad used their powers on the carts. Manhunter was with Superman, Wonderwoman, and Superboy, and they were helping to rescue the citizens. Wally and the Flash ran to get the managers and help.

There was a gust of wind, and I slammed her to the ground before she could attack me. I looked down on the face, and it was the unpleasantly familiar face of Zatanna.


	12. Chapter 12

Caroline's POV:  
I looked down at myself, and realized that I had transformed into my uniform. "YOU!" I screamed, and I punched her in the abdomen. She doubled over in pain, then muttered some words. I flew to the wall of one of the roller coasters, and I tried to release my power to keep the roller coaster in shape. Golden green haze rolled off of me, and Zatanna flew after me. I smashed into the wall, and Zatanna got me again in a choke hold.

"CAROLINE!" I heard Nightwing, Connor, Aqualad, Wally and Artemis scream, and I tried to get out of her grasp. I thought; 'release', and I slid under her, and appeared behind her. The haze started to reappear in my hands, and I aimed it for her. She deflected each one, but my most powerful one hit her in the chest. She flew back, and skittered against the ground.

She screamed, 'weaken', and the roller coaster that Aqualad, Rocket, and Icon were on starts to fall. It crumbled to the ground, and I quickly flew there, rummaging through the debris to try and find Aqualad, Rocket, and Icon. I hear a crash, and Icon with Rocket come out from the debris, but they didn't have Aqualad with them. I start to sob, and my shoulder start to shake with my sobs. I collapse on the debris, and start scrambling through it.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and Superman is in front of me, looking at me sadly. I start to tremble, and stand up. I turn towards Zatanna, who looks like she's having the time of her life. I start to charge towards her, but Superman grabs me. I slip out of his grasp, and I shoot orbs of power towards her. She gets hit, and is slugged in the face. She flies back, and then she grabs me, and drags me up higher up the atmosphere.

I could see she wasn't being effected by this, but it would effect the both of us if we didn't get the oxygen that we needed. I started to feel my breath hitch, and I take a blow from Zatanna. I give her over three blows, and she just... disappears. I try to rush towards her, but my eyelids droop, and I fall to the ground.

Nightwing's POV:  
Neither Caroline or Zatanna came back down, so Superman flew up into the clouds (yes, it was a misty and foggy afternoon), with Wonderwoman and Manhunter. Almost fifteen minutes later, they came back to the ground, with Superman holding an unconscious Caroline to his chest. He handed her to me, and I looked down at her. She looked child-like; a little girl who was so innocent... but she would have to be punished with her horrible past in her mind.

I swept a few stray hairs from her face, and her nose twitched. I smiled at that, and her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyelids rolled up to find her startling green and gold eyes staring exhaustedly into my bluish gray ones. Then, her eyes widened, and she jumped out of my arms, only to fall onto the floor. Connor rushed to her; along with me and Superman, and we pulled her up. Caroline struggled against us; trying to get to the pile of remains of the broken rollercoaster. She broke free, and started to lash out at the rubble. I quickly grabbed her back, and I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I need... to get to... Aqualad... it's all my fault... I need to get him!" She cried out, and she started to sob. I wiped her tears away, and I hugged her, leading her head to my chest, and her tears soaked onto my uniform. I patted her back and head, and she looked up at me with sorrow and... concern. "D...Dick?" She asked quietly, and I immediately turned my attention to her. "I... I..." She sighed, and looked up at me with dim eyes. "I... I love you. You've been there for me for every situation, and... I... We've gone our ups and downs, but... you always seemed to want me to come back; even though I didn't want to. You've... actually cared. I never felt cared like this before..."

I looked down at her in surprise, and I kissed her with all of the love I could give her in it. I looked back at her, and she was looking at me with teary eyes. "Why are you crying?" I asked quietly as I wiped away her tears.

"I... I don't want to lose you, or anyone else, and I thought it was you in the debris... I couldn't live with that, Dick. I love you to much too just let that go.." More tears ran down her eyes, and I hugged her gently before picking her up on my back. She was too exhausted to protest, so we walked back to the van, and climbed in, and then drove back to Mt. Justice.

Next Week Caroline's POV:  
I felt really... depressed. I mean, first, my first friend here (besides Nightwing, of course), died before my eyes, and so did one of my teammates. Everything I did reminded me of them, but... I never could see them again. It was a reminder... I decided what I have to do.

It was late at night, and I brought two pictures with me: one of me and Meghan going shopping with Artemis, and we looked like we were using our fingers for guns, and we were in the midst of laughing while doing this. Artemis wasn't in the picture, but she was face-palming herself and shaking her head, and we laughed even more about that. Another was me and Aqualad sparring together. We were nothing but serious, and we were in the middle of a match. It was a picture of me; who hand my hunting knife to his throat, while he had his sword on the crook of my elbow. I smiled sadly at them, and the memories came flooding back to me like a bucket spilling water.

I climbed up to the roof, and I recognized Meghan's constellation immediately. I laid down, and looked at the photos. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned to see none other than Aqualad on the roof. I stood up and my eyes widened in shock, and I tackled him in a hug. "I... but you're... AQUALAD!" I almost screamed in happiness, and released him from his hug to see Meghan beside him. I hugged her tightly, then I looked at them. Even though they were transparent, they had a different type of clothing on than the last time I saw them.

"Meghan, how do I start this?" I asked, and she only smiled in response.

"Go back to where the first blood was spilt," She started, and Aqualad continued for her.

"You must bring one of your most prized possessions, and hold it in your battle." Meghan started again, and her line was horrifying.

"You must sacrifice yourself before the next blood is spilt, otherwise; your future is doomed." She whispered, and I looked out at the ocean that was next to us. She put a hand on my shoulder, and kissed my forehead. I hugged her again, and she wrapped her arms around me. Aqualad wrapped his arms around the both of us, and they both started to disappear.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" I called out to them, but they couldn't hear me. I quickly concentrated in putting my pictures in my room, and they sunk through the roof. I looked back at them, but they were already gone. I laid back down, and it started to rain before I closed my eyes in a deep slumber.

Next Day Nightwing's POV:  
"You guys seen Caroline?" I asked, and they all replied in a no. I walked into her room, and her two photos of Meghan and Aqualad were on her bed, and the window that led to the roof was open. I climbed up there, and I saw Caroline drenching wet, sleeping. I picked her up, and she only trembled. I carried her back down to her room, and Artemis changed her into something more dry and warm. I laid Caroline down; with her head on my chest; and I watched her sleep peacefully.

Caroline's POV:  
I woke up with my head on Nightwing's chest, and I rubbed my eyes groggily. I looked up at him, and he smiled at me before kissing my forehead. I remembered Meghan's visit, and I clambered out of Nightwing's grasp. He looked at me in surprise before I smiled at him in reassurance. I think he could see through my act, and so he pulled me back into his lap. I looked up at him, then kissed his forehead before getting back up. I ruffled his hair playfully, then I grabbed a random shirt and jeans, then rushed into the bathroom.

I came back out in a navy blue jersey shirt, and a pair of dark wash jean shorts that went to mid-thigh. I slipped on some high black converse sneakers, and I looked at Nightwing, who had a confused look on his face. I kissed his forehead, and I sat down next to him. I felt the emotions welling up in my chest, so I abruptly hugged Nightwing around the waist, and buried my head in his chest. Nightwing was set back in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me in between his legs.

I broke apart from him, and I immediately started to blush. He turned back to me, with a worried expression on his face. "Nightwing... I just... never mind. I'll be going to the...shit." I sighed, and he took my hands, like he did when I first confessed to him.

"Caroline...what's wrong? Why are you so.. tense?" He asked softly, and I looked up at the ceiling. It was now almost noon, and I suddenly felt a pain in my head. I rubbed my temple, and I heard a voice in my mind.

_You're going to come to the meadow... you know where it is. Come alone_, I heard, and I immediately recognized it. Zatanna.


	13. Chapter 13

Caroline's POV:  
I looked back at him with a sweet smile, and he immediately started to rub my hands. I groaned inwardly. This is what he always does when he knows I'm lying... it's fucking accurate. "Nightwing, I'm fine. Honest. I'll just be going to the grocery store. We need more food, because I'm going to be cooking more when I get the time. I...er...I used to work as a waitress, and I knew how to cook when the chef... decided not to show up." I finished awkwardly, and Nightwing gave me a sideways glance, and I laughed.

"I'm serious, Nightwing! Don't look at me like that! Nightwing!" I laughed more when he looked at me with more intensity. I stopped myself, and I stood up, making Nightwing grab my hand and haul himself up with me. "Come on, I need to go right now." I locked the door behind me, and grabbed my pendant safely under my shirt. I led him to the main room, and Artemis greeted me with a hug and smile, then gave me a confused look at my shoes and clothing on.

"Grocery store. I'm going to start cooking for you guys... I have to do some other errands, too." I responded curtly, and she only smiled warmly. I quickly ruffled Superboy's hair, which surprised the shit out of him. I waved at Wally, and kissed Nightwing's cheek before exiting the mountain. I immediately transformed into my uniform, and I started to sprint into the woods to the meadow.

Nightwing's POV:  
"Guys, did that look any more suspicious than usual?" I questioned, and they all nodded and replied immediately.

"Yep."

"Ditto."

"It really worries me... first falling asleep on the roof, then going to the grocery store alone... this is getting more weird and suspicious..." I heard Artemis wonder aloud, and we all nodded.

"We're going to follow her. Who knows, she could be kidnapped right now!" I exclaimed, and we all quickly changed into our uniforms before running after her.

Caroline's POV:  
I stopped at the meadow, and Zatanna was there waiting for me. She raised her hand, and muttered some words. Immediately, I was drawn closer to her, and she lifted me above the ground in a choke hold.

"Well, well. Look who decided to come. Good girl," she murmured, and cackled in laughter. I squirmed, and was released from her grip.

"I know what's going to happen, and I'm not going to stop it. It's going to help everyone there." I shouted to her, and she only looked at me with an amused expression. I quickly shifted my bow, and I shot an arrow at her. She was caught off guard, and was shot in the abdomen. Blood spurted out, and she only started to shout words, and I was thrown across the field by a red fist that had erupted from the air. I wiped the blood off of my cheek, and I shot more arrows, and the green power surged through my veins.

I shouted to her, "COLLAPSE!", and the ground under her started to crumble into darkness. She jumped out of the way, then started to mutter something.

"Let's get real, now. Time to take off the shackles, and go full-on," she taunted, and I only shifted my bow into its pendant form. I screamed out a command, and trees started to stomp from their roots. I spread my arms, and my power surged to my fingers. I shot it towards Zatanna, and she flew against a boulder. The trees shot arrows that were indestructible, and she was pinned to the earthy wall next to the boulder.

Zatanna screamed, "LLIK!",(Zatanna does her spells by saying her command backwards, so she screamed 'kill') and I dodged one blow before one of my trees received one. Another one was about to get it, but I pushed it out of the way before receiving it on my bandages. I screamed out, and I heard someone scream my name before I fell to the ground. The trees started to disintegrate, and my eyelids started to glue together. I was lifted into something, and I realized that Nightwing was staring down at me, with his tears splashing on my cheeks.

He turned toward Zatanna, and he screamed, "I HATE YOU!" He slashed out at her, and stabbed her in the chest. She gasped out, and I screamed out for him. I tried to stand up, but we saw Artemis and Wally coming towards me, with Connor way ahead of them. I collapsed on my knees, and I felt my pulse slowly die out.

* * *

Alright... this is my first Author note thing... so I really don't know what to say.

First: I'm really sorry this is short, but the next chapter will be a LOT longer!

Second: SHOULD THIS BE THE END?! REPLY THE ANSWER IN THE REVIEWS, RANDOM CITIZENS!

Third: I was thinking of a contest... if any of you guys love to draw and such, you can post a picture of Caroline and Nightwing... just try to get creative!

I love you guys! Keep on reading! Thanks Stronger123 and piggythelaw for reviewing it! I need the advice, so please please PLEASE review this!


	14. Chapter 14

NEVER MIND IT BEING LONGER! (Sorry for the disappointment, peoples T-T)

Anyways... Here's the chapter, Love y'all!

* * *

Nightwing's POV:  
I stabbed Zatanna in the chest, and she cried out before falling to the ground. I looked down at her, and immediately I ran back to Caroline. She was on her knees, and I grabbed her by the shoulders. I looked at her face, and she only murmured something. "Caroline... Caroline, come on... come on Caroline..."

"I...I said... that my incarnation...will heal... everything...but...might take... me with her...you guys... need to...run away...as fast as...you can..." She whispered, and I started to cry again.

"Caroline, you're not going to die, you're going to be alright... you'll be fine..."

I heard her wheeze, and that could've been like a chuckle to her. "I won't... just run..."She gasped out, and I gripped her tighter. "You...guys are...too late...she's coming...now..." Before I could ask her what she meant, a beautiful woman burst out from inside of her. She was just like her, but she had silver streaks in her hair, and a silver circlet on her head. She nodded towards me, and lifted up her arms. Blossoms started to bloom where Caroline was lying, and she started to glow a green and gold. Then, the light within her started to shine brighter, and everything turned black.

Caroline's POV:  
I woke up lying down in a meadow, and I had on a brilliant silver dress, and my hair was braided to the side loosely, and it showed my streaks of gray. Instead of my wreath, I wore my silver and platinum circlet around my head. I looked around, and I saw Nightwing lying down in the meadow a few feet away from me. I rushed towards him, and I started to nudge him.

"D..Dick?" I whispered to him, and I looked down at him. He was wearing a gray tux, and he had a beautiful black aster near his hand. His eyes fluttered from below me, and he sat up, which lead to me straddling him. I started to blush, and I sat next to him, and tears started to spring in his eyes. He brought the aster from behind him, and he placed it gently in my hair. I started to cry in happiness too, and he cupped my face in his hands, and brushed his lips with mine. I pulled away, and hugged him tightly. "I... I thought you... I thought I.."

"So did I, Caroline." He finished for me, and I only cried more. He stood up, and pulled me up with him. I leaned onto him, and he played with the locks of my hair. I looked up at him, and he kissed my forehead gently. I closed my eyes, and I fell asleep in Nightwing's arms.

* * *

Caroline's POV:  
"Caroline, are you alright?!" I heard someone familiar almost screech, and I opened my eyes to see Nightwing, Meghan, Aqualad, Artemis, Wally, and Connor crouching above me. I looked around, and I realized that I was in my bedroom. I sat up, and sighed. Then, I realized something.

"I...Wasn't I...Zatanna... but.." Nightwing crouched in front of me, and grasped my hands.

"Yeah... you did die on us for a while, but what you said was true, but, instead of you, they took... Zatanna." My eyes widened, and I looked towards everyone else. Meghan and Aqualad... weren't they...

"MEGHAN...AQUALAD... You... you aren't dead...?" I started, and tackled them in a hug as tight as I could manage. They wrapped their arms around me in response, and tears of happiness sprung to my eyes. They guided my hand to Nightwing's, and he laced his fingers with mine. I leaned on his chest, and he kissed my forehead before everyone shuffled out. My eyes widened, and I transformed into my regular clothes. "Nightwing... do you... do you.." He finished for me, and it was the best thing I had ever heard in my life.

"Yes, Caroline. I do love you... I love you a whole lot more than others would know of..." He trailed off, and I kissed him before he could continue.

"Good. I... I was afraid that..."

"That I would love Zatanna? Hell no, Caroline. You give me love and happiness, even though you had none to give in the first place, because you had none from your parents. Of course, that didn't stop you from giving more to others than yourself. Zatanna never gave me love or happiness. She... she was only using me... to know stuff, and then she threw me away like a tin can. You never did that, Caroline. I love you for never giving up on others, even if no others are standing with you. I love how you always try to take care of everyone, even if they're mean to you back. I love you for you, and that' not ever going to change." He murmured so only I could hear his words. I kissed his lips, and he wrapped his arms around me waist; pulling me closer. I looked up at him, and I laid down in my bed. He climbed in on the other side with me, and I fell asleep with no nightmares, only knowing that the one I love was next to me.

* * *

WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT! I have one more thing... THIS IS THE END... BUT...

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP! But, it's gonna be like months later, and they're at the end of high school... CHECK IT OUT I BEG OF YOU!

Anyway, taataa!

Love ya!


	15. Chapter 15

OKAY, OKAY, I GET IT. I said the story was over, but I have one last announcement to make...

...

THE SEQUEL IS UP! -fan girl squeals- ALRIGHT... So, if any of y'all liked this story, then you guys can check it out!

The title is 'Come Closer'... hope you all enjoy it!

Love you! Taataa!


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